Government approves draft budget for 2025 with record defense funding

The Government approved the draft State Budget for 2025, which provides for significant investments in the production of weapons and military equipment - more than UAH 55 billion.

According to Herman Smetanin, Minister of Strategic Industries of Ukraine, this is more than the amount allocated for the current year.

According to him, 54.55 billion hryvnias of the total amount will be used to expand production capacity, develop new technologies and support production for the defense sector, which exceeds this year's funding of about 51 billion hryvnias.

A separate UAH 500 million has been allocated for the program of affordable loans for defense companies, which was introduced this year. This program allows manufacturers to receive loans at 5% per annum, with the state budget covering other costs at the same rate.

The final decision is to be made by MPs in the Verkhovna Rada during a vote.

The Government has introduced temporary state registration of vehicles that military personnel receive as humanitarian aid to perform their duties. Procedures for traveling abroad with these vehicles have also been regulated.

The military can now register such vehicles in their own name and use them legally until the end of martial law and three months after its termination. The Cabinet of Ministers adopted the resolution developed by the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine on October 29, 2024.

The Cabinet of Ministers also regulated the procedure for registration and re-registration of vehicles imported as humanitarian aid.

A meeting on the mobilization of heavy vehicles was held in Odesa region. The main focus was on proposals from the military to additionally engage trucks that violate transportation and road rules to meet the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.