"Not populism". Ukraine announces 2025 winter aid payments

The Cabinet of Ministers plans to set the amount of winter eSupport in 2025 at UAH 1,000, and UAH 6,500 for the most vulnerable groups. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced this to journalists on Monday, according to Interfax-Ukraine.

"We expect that about 10 million Ukrainians will take advantage of the program [for UAH 1,000], including up to 3 million applications for children," Svyrydenko said.

Just like last year, the funds can be used to pay for utilities, medicines, and books, or donated to charity accounts of the Security and Defense Forces or volunteer foundations.

The application period is expected to run from November 15 to December 15.

"This is not populism. If not the government, then who should help people? This is our work, our duty," Glavkom quoted Svyrydenko as saying.

This year, the government also allocated UAH 4.4 billion from the state budget to pay UAH 6,500 to those "who need support the most." This payment will be available to children under guardianship or care, children with disabilities, foster children and those in family-type orphanages, people with group I disabilities among internally displaced persons, children from low-income families under 18, and single pensioners receiving care allowances.

These funds can be spent within 180 days on clothing, shoes, medicines, or vitamins.

More than 660,000 people are expected to receive assistance under this program.

• Last winter, almost 14 million Ukrainians benefited from the UAH 1,000 payment and other state support programs.