Photo: Press service of the Verkhovna Rada

On Wednesday, August 20, the Verkhovna Rada voted for the second time in a month to amend Ukraine’s 2025 state budget. The bill passed with support from 229 MPs, just three votes above the required minimum of 226, according to Roksolana Pidlasa, Chair of the Budget Committee.

On July 31, lawmakers had already approved an additional UAH 412 billion in spending to finance defense needs. This time, the focus shifted to non-military expenditures.

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Pidlasa outlined the key areas of increased funding:

  • UAH 25.5 billion – replenishment of the state reserve fund for unforeseen military and humanitarian needs, including up to UAH 8 billion to support Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways);
  • UAH 4.3 billion – for the Ministry of Digital Transformation, earmarked for specialized equipment, drones, battlefield testing technologies, and grants to support defense tech production;
  • UAH 4.6 billion – for school meals: for primary school students nationwide and also grades 5–11 in frontline regions;
  • UAH 3.2 billion – procurement of medicines for patients with cancer, viral hepatitis, rare (orphan) diseases, and hemophilia;
  • UAH 1.5 billion – transfers to local budgets for the development of military lyceums that provide patriotic education;
  • UAH 1.2 billion – support for war veterans and their families, including financial aid and car insurance compensation.

Separately, MPs reallocated UAH 1 billion for the construction and renovation of housing for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

"These additional expenditures are balanced by cuts in other non-military spending totaling UAH 36.7 billion, including UAH 33.6 billion from reduced public debt servicing, as well as by redirecting UAH 8 billion from the bank profit tax currently allocated to Kyiv’s city budget into the state’s general fund," Pidlasa explained.

However, the Kyiv City State Administration warned that this move threatens the planned recapitalization of Kyivmiskbud, the capital’s largest municipal construction company.

  • The budget revision had been initiated by the Cabinet of Ministers back in June. Soon, Parliament will also face the task of adopting the 2026 budget.