Starting from February 1, Ukrainians will encounter a series of new changes. This has been reported by Kontakty.UA.
For further details, read the article on TSN.ua.
Railway Ticket Prices
From February 1, "Ukrzaliznytsia" will reduce discounts on international trains to Poland and Hungary. This means that passengers will see a significant increase in ticket prices.
In particular, the cost of tickets to Poland and Hungary will rise, while prices for routes to Austria and Moldova will remain unchanged.
The company notes that they are reviewing the size of discounts due to the rising costs of materials and energy resources.
Ticket prices to Poland will increase:
- in 1st class Intercity+ and SV cars – by 20-27%;
- in coupe cars – by 9-27%.
The price for a ticket on the Kyiv – Warsaw train will rise by 37%, while the Kyiv – Budapest route will see an increase of 17% for SV and 21% for coupe.
Tickets can be purchased at old prices until January 31, 2025, inclusive, through the official "Ukrzaliznytsia" website and mobile application.
Rebooking for Military Personnel
According to the new booking order, businesses must confirm their critical status by February 28, 2025.
Companies that fail to submit documents for re-confirmation will lose their critical status, and all their employees will lose their bookings. Those that do confirm will be able to book their employees for one year.
After February 28, leaders of critical enterprises will have the opportunity to “rebook” their employees within 72 hours using the "Diia" portal.
Lawyer Marina Bekalo commented to TSN.ua that military personnel who are not booked by employers in time or if the enterprise loses its critical status will lose their booking starting from February 28, 2025, along with any deferment and may be called up for military service during mobilization.
“If a military personnel is registered, has employment relations with the enterprise that is booking him, updates his personal data on time, and is not wanted, within 72 hours from the moment the list is formed through the Unified State Register of conscripts, military personnel, and reservists, he will be automatically placed on special military registration for the duration of the deferment,” said Marina Bekalo.
Additionally, men who have previously been classified as "conditionally fit" by the military medical commission must undergo the military medical commission and update their status by February 5, 2025. If they fail to do so, they may face fines ranging from 17,000 to 25,000 hryvnias.
New Assistance for IDPs and Payments
Starting from January 29, 2025, internally displaced persons (IDPs) can submit documents for the appointment of housing rental subsidies.
According to the "Diia" portal, families of internally displaced persons (IDPs) who meet the following criteria can apply for the subsidy:
- do not own housing with a total area exceeding 13.65 square meters per family member;
- spend more than 20% of their total family income on rent;
- have destroyed or damaged housing to the extent that it is unfit for habitation, as recorded in the Register of Damaged and Destroyed Property or through a corresponding act of a commission or technical inspection;
- do not receive IDP living payments, and family members have no outstanding alimony debts.
For families whose income does not exceed two living minimums per person (5,840 hryvnias), the subsidy will cover a larger percentage of rental costs.
Regarding IDP payments, from February 1, they will be automatically extended for all who were receiving them.
Utility Tariffs
From February 1, new conditions for the use of electricity for heating will be introduced in Ukraine. The preferential tariff will now be strictly limited to a certain consumption volume, as reported by "NP".
It is noted that for this category, the price will be reduced for three months – until April 30, 2025. The cost will be 2.64 hryvnias per kWh if the monthly consumption does not exceed 2000 kWh. The tariff for kilowatts above this norm will be 4.32 UAH/kWh.
This tariff existed before, but under different conditions. Previously, if a consumer used 2300 kWh, they automatically had to pay 4.32 UAH for all 2300 kWh. Now, for 2000 kWh, you will pay 2.64 UAH, and for 300 kWh, you will pay 4.32 UAH.
Gas prices for consumers will also remain fixed until April 30, 2025. Ukrainians served by the gas supplier "Naftogaz" (which accounts for 98%) will pay a tariff of 7.96 hryvnias per cubic meter of gas.
Limits on Money Transfers
From February 1, Ukrainian banks will implement restrictions on money transfers between individuals, setting a monthly limit of 150,000 hryvnias for payments by IBAN details.
This new measure will only apply to clients without documented income. Banks will classify these clients into three risk groups: "high", "medium", and "low". Separate restrictions will be established for each group.
For clients with a "high" risk level, the limit will be 50,000 hryvnias per month.
For the "medium" and "low" risk groups, restrictions will be phased in:
- from February 1, 2025 – up to 150,000 hryvnias;
- from June 1, 2025 – up to 100,000 hryvnias.
Payments to Relatives of Captured and Missing Soldiers
From February 1, 2025, changes to the law on the social and legal protection of military personnel and their families will come into effect.
Roman Lyakhachov, a military lawyer and attorney at the Veterans Support Center, told NV that the monetary provision for a military personnel captured or considered missing is about 120,000 hryvnias per month.
Previously, full payments were to be received monthly by the spouse of the military. This means that the defender could have parents and children, but payments were still to be received only by the spouse.
From February 1, if no such order exists, the funds will be distributed as follows:
- 50% of the monetary provision must be equally distributed among first-degree beneficiaries – the spouse, legal representatives of minor children, children with disabilities from childhood or their legal representatives, and the military's parents (excluding those receiving alimony from them, as well as parents deprived of parental rights);
- if the military has no first-degree beneficiaries, then 20% of the provision is equally distributed among second-degree beneficiaries – adult children, siblings, whose legal representative is the military.
The unpaid portion of the funds (50% or 80%) must remain in the military unit and be paid to the soldier upon his return from captivity or appearance if he was declared missing.
According to the new provision, a military personnel can independently determine who and what amount should be paid in case he is captured or declared missing. To do this, he needs to create a personal order.
Pension Supplements and Fund Deductions
Ukrainian citizens who turn 70, 75, or 80 years old in February can receive a supplement to their pension. However, this assistance is available only to Ukrainians whose total pension does not exceed the average salary in Ukraine used for pension calculations in 2020, which amounts to 10,340 hryvnias.
Primarily, this concerns "age" supplements, which are paid in addition to the main pension across Ukraine.
Depending on age, pensioners can receive the following supplements:
- aged 70 to 75 –