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ZN.UA (Mirror Weekly)

ZN.UA (Mirror Weekly)

@znua.bsky.social

1.2K followers 10 following 320 posts

Quality analytics with a ‘helicopter view’ on the most important issues and perspectives of Ukraine.

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ZN.UA (Mirror Weekly) @znua.bsky.social · 1d

Sunflowers, corn, and soybeans are being harvested—key crops for foreign exchange earnings in the agricultural sector in 2025. The weather has hampered the work. Details are in the article by Larisa Huk.

zn.ua/eng/rain-rui...
#agriculture #harvest #Ukraine

Rain Ruins Autumn Marathon of Crop Champions

The harvest in Ukraine is being delayed due to rain. Corn and sunflower yields are declining, and soybeans are suffering from mold. Will corn be left to overwinter?

ZN.UA (Mirror Weekly) @znua.bsky.social · 3d

Every time Ukraine's GDP approaches $200 billion, a crisis or war breaks out. Oleksiy Kushch analyzes whether the economy is capable of growing without new setbacks — after all, this year we are once again approaching the “cursed” mark.

#economy #finance #warinUkraine
zn.ua/eng/groundho...

Groundhog Day: Can Ukraine’s Economy Grow Without Rollbacks?

Ukraine has missed its chance to develop a complex economy. We export raw materials without creating value, and crises repeatedly wipe out even modest GDP growth.

ZN.UA (Mirror Weekly) @znua.bsky.social · 3d

Luhansk and Donetsk — eleven years under occupation. ZN.UA have compiled a chronicle of Donbas — life, figures, survival. An article by Yevgeny Shibalov about the world that once belonged to us.

#warinUkraine #Luhansk #Donetsk
zn.ua/eng/mutilate...

Mutilated Souls: What “Russian World” Brought to Donbas: A Portrait in Numbers and Stories

People no longer give birth to children, build houses, or live here—they survive. ZN.UA has compiled unique data from the Main Intelligence Directorate, stories from local residents, and extensive…

ZN.UA (Mirror Weekly) @znua.bsky.social · 10d

During the shelling of Kharkiv, Ukrainian scientists grew crystals for the Large Hadron Collider in the basement of the institute. Project manager Oleg Sidletsky described how this occurred.

#science #technology #war
zn.ua/eng/ukrainia...

Ukrainian crystals for the Large Hadron Collider: when science is stronger than war

During the war, Ukrainian scientists created crystals for CERN in the basement of a Kharkiv institute. This is the first Horizon Europe project in history to be led by Ukraine.

ZN.UA (Mirror Weekly) @znua.bsky.social · 11d

Despite the number of sanctions imposed, their effectiveness remains low after four years of war. How to increase pressure on the Kremlin's economy — in an article by Yegor Ostapov.

#sanctions #Russia #warinUkraine
zn.ua/eng/the-sanc...

The Sanctions Stranglehold: How to Cut Off the Kremlin’s Economic Lifelines

How Russia circumvents sanctions through Turkey, the UAE, and Central Asia. Shadow logistics and financing support the Russian military-industrial complex despite bans.

ZN.UA (Mirror Weekly) @znua.bsky.social · 15d

The Security Service of Ukraine found the Russian passport of Odessa Mayor Gennady Trukhanov in its archives. Hristo Grozev called the document “a forgery.” Who will now run the city? Alexander Sergienko explains in his article.

zn.ua/eng/odesa-tr...
#Trukhanov #Ukraine #Odessa

Odesa Tragicomedy: Why Trukhanov Became Perfect Target for President’s Team

After the tragedy in Odessa and the decree stripping Trukhanov of his citizenship, the country saw a precedent for centralized seizure of power. Who really controls the city—Lysak, Kipper, or…

ZN.UA (Mirror Weekly) @znua.bsky.social · 17d

The old apple tree outside the window was in bloom, while Grandmother Kateryna slowly faded away in solitude. One son was in Russia, the other on the front lines. Read about the story of a mother torn apart by war in this article by Yulia Vovkodav.

#warinUkraine #article
zn.ua/eng/across-t...

Across the Field

In her story for ZN, Yulia Vovkodav told a true story about maternal love torn apart by war and about thousands of elderly people in Ukraine who are left alone to face old age.

ZN.UA (Mirror Weekly) @znua.bsky.social · 19d

Information about Fire Point — including prices, order volumes, and test results — is confidential.
However, ZN .UA managed to speak with the company's chief engineer, Denis Shtilman.
All the details are in Vitaly Kononuchenko's interview.
zn.ua/eng/inside-f...
#war #Ukraine #rockets

ZN.UA (Mirror Weekly) @znua.bsky.social · 19d

Ukraine's shadow capital has moved into cryptocurrency. Assets have reached $50 billion, and the state still does not know how to regulate them. Oleksiy Kushch explained the reasons.

#cryptocurrency #crypto #Ukraine
zn.ua/eng/regulati...

Regulating Crypto in Ukraine: Corruption, the Shadow Economy and $50 Billion Untaxed

The Verkhovna Rada has passed the first reading of a bill that would tax transactions involving virtual assets. Here's how this will affect the Ukrainian crypto market.

ZN.UA (Mirror Weekly) @znua.bsky.social · 22d

It is unknown who blew up Nord Stream. Germany suspects Ukrainians, but Zelensky has denied this.
In their article, lawyers argue that the gas pipelines could have been a legitimate military target.

zn.ua/eng/legitima...
#NordStream #Russia #GaspPipeline #news

Legitimate Target: The Military Nature of Attack on Nord Stream

Legal analysis of the case involving the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines. Can they be considered a legitimate military target? And why the arrests of Ukrainians in this case require a…

ZN.UA (Mirror Weekly) @znua.bsky.social · 23d

The lifting of some US sanctions is a success for Lukashenko, but not for Belarusians: repression continues and political prisoners remain in jail. For more details, see Vladimir Kim's article.

zn.ua/eng/why-trum...
#USA #Belarus #Trump #Lukashenko #warinUkraine

Why Trump Reached Out to Lukashenko

The Trump administration has partially lifted sanctions on Belarus and resumed diplomatic contacts with Lukashenko's regime. What was the price of this move — and why did Washington do it?

ZN.UA (Mirror Weekly) @znua.bsky.social · 24d

Andriy Dligach explains in his article that limiting civil servants' salaries will not increase pensions, but will weaken the economy. Ukraine needs reforms, de-shadowing, and citizen responsibility, not populism.

#pension #reforms #finance
zn.ua/eng/decent-p...

Decent Pension vs. Populist Noose: Why Limiting Civil Servants’ Salaries Will Harm Ukrainians’ Well-being

Why Ukraine's solidarity pension system isn't working and whether limiting officials' salaries will help. Looking at real ways to boost pensions.

ZN.UA (Mirror Weekly) @znua.bsky.social · 29d

Artificial intelligence is already testing laws, predicting elections, and modeling virtual states. But who controls these simulations—people or algorithms? Read about it in Alexei Kostenko's article.

#virtualreality #AI #neuralnetworks #technology #generation
zn.ua/eng/virtual-...

Virtual State: How AI Is Rewriting Society and Will Humans Retain the Right to Veto?

AI, digital avatars, and simulacra no longer just help us—they are beginning to control our choices, emotions, and political decisions. What does the future look like when the state is modeled in the…

ZN.UA (Mirror Weekly) @znua.bsky.social · Oct 2

Decentralization has stalled: the government and communities are pulling in different directions. Eurofunding and self-government are under threat. For more details, see the article by Yuriy Hanushchak.

zn.ua/eng/decentra...
#decentralization #Ukraine #government

Decentralization on Hold: Can the Reform Survive the President’s Team and the Mayors?

Local government reform has stalled: pressure from security forces, failure of key laws, and rivalry between Bankova and mayors. What can be done to move forward?

ZN.UA (Mirror Weekly) @znua.bsky.social · Oct 1

The SUP experiment has been going on for 15 out of 24 months, the results are almost invisible, and the orders of the State Tax Service have not been made public.
For more details, see the article by Yevgeny Kurilov.

#economy #Ukraine #TRMS
zn.ua/eng/tax-risk...

Tax Risks: An Analytical Tool, a Publicity Stunt, or a Way to Evade Responsibility?

The State Tax Service has implemented a tax risk management system, but its essence and effectiveness remain unclear to taxpayers.

ZN.UA (Mirror Weekly) @znua.bsky.social · Sep 25

Mathematics and 200-point scores are just the tip of the iceberg of NMT results. What did they really show, and do we want to see it? Read Oksana Onishchenko's article.

#NMT #education #learning #Ukraine
zn.ua/eng/educatio...

Education Mirrored by Exams: What We Really See in the Results

The results of the 2025 NMT revealed a deep crisis in school education—massive failures in mathematics, poor knowledge of physics, and problems with logical thinking.

ZN.UA (Mirror Weekly) @znua.bsky.social · Sep 24

Two years ago, General Valery Zaluzhny predicted in The Economist that technology would play a key role in the war. Now he explains how innovation should form the basis of the strategy to resist Russia.

#Zaluzhny #warinukraine #drones #technology
zn.ua/eng/innovati...

Innovation as Core of Strategic Resilience: Denying Russia the Power to Dictate Terms Through War

Ukraine presented its defense innovations at DSEI-2025 in London. Valery Zaluzhny explains how drones, electronic warfare, and AI are changing warfare and why the current stalemate resembles World…

ZN.UA (Mirror Weekly) @znua.bsky.social · Sep 23

The national debt has exceeded 100% of GDP, and in 2026 there will be a shortfall of $19 billion. Tetyana Bohdan from the Growford Institute explains how Ukraine is seeking resources.

#budget #ukraine #economy #warinukraine
zn.ua/eng/financin...

Financing Budget Deficits In 2025 And 2026: From Bad To Worse

Ukraine's budget deficit in 2025 amounted to 22.9% of GDP. The government plans to reduce it in 2026, but the need for external borrowing remains critical.

ZN.UA (Mirror Weekly) @znua.bsky.social · Sep 19

For the first time in 30 years, gold reserves have equaled US bonds. Economist Oleksiy Kushch analyzes the reasons behind the “gold rush” of the 21st century.

#finance #economy #dollar #gold
zn.ua/eng/four-tri...

Four Trillion Reasons Not to Trust the Dollar

Gold reached $3,600 per ounce. For the first time in 30 years, central bank gold reserves equaled those of the US Treasury.

ZN.UA (Mirror Weekly) @znua.bsky.social · Sep 18

Two months after the repeal of the law against NABU and SAPO, the pressure has not stopped. Inna Vedernikova's article discusses the war between law enforcement agencies and the limits of the law.
zn.ua/eng/zelensky...
#SBU #Ukraine

Zelenskyy’s Genie: Can the Unleashed Security Services Be Forced Back Into the Bottle?

After the scandal surrounding Bill No. 12414, Bankova changed its tactics but not its goal. The Security Service of Ukraine, the prosecutor's office, and parliament are acting as tools in the hands…

ZN.UA (Mirror Weekly) @znua.bsky.social · Sep 12

Drought, EU restrictions, and attacks on ports have hit agricultural exports. Vladislav Obukh investigated whether sowing will help and what the harvest is expected to be in 2026.

#AgriculturalSector #grain #Ukraine #export
zn.ua/eng/from-cri...

From Crisis to Hope. How Ukrainian Agricultural Exports Are Weathering One of Their Toughest Seasons

The summer of 2025 proved to be difficult for Ukrainian agricultural exporters due to problems with harvests, infrastructure, export quotas, and sales markets. The article contains analytics,…

ZN.UA (Mirror Weekly) @znua.bsky.social · Sep 10

The Ukrainian Armed Forces are holding villages near Pokrovsk, while Russia is preparing assaults. The Kostyantynivka–Dobropillia–Pokrovsk line in the battles for Donbas — in an article by Vitalii Kononuchenko.

#war #Russia #Pokrovsk
zn.ua/eng/russia-d...

Russia Deploys Additional Forces to Donetsk Region: What to Expect Next

Fierce fighting continues in the Pokrovsk direction. The enemy has changed tactics and is trying to break through to Dobropillya. Ukrainian forces, in particular Azov and Kholodny Yar, are holding…

ZN.UA (Mirror Weekly) @znua.bsky.social · Sep 10

The Ukrainian economy has stalled: banks with nearly UAH 3 trillion in deposits are directing only 40% toward loans. Tetiana Bohdan explains why it is more profitable for financial institutions to earn money without lending to businesses.

#economy #Ukraine #credit
zn.ua/eng/deposits...

Deposits Abound, Loans Are Scarce: The Banking Paradox Holding Back Ukraine’s Economy

In 2025, banks spend only 43% of deposits on loans, despite record liquidity. The economy is slumping, but financial institutions are profitable thanks to the state.

ZN.UA (Mirror Weekly) @znua.bsky.social · Sep 8

The murders and assassination attempts on Ukrainian activists and politicians are still viewed separately. But could they be part of a single chain woven by Russian special services? Gunduz Mamedov writes about this.

#Ukraine #Russia #war
zn.ua/eng/are-the-...

Are the Murders and Assassination Attempts on Prominent Ukrainians Acts of “Revenge” for May 2?

For years, the Kremlin has been compiling “lists of enemies.” Parubiy, Sternenko, Panovsky—is Russia behind attempts to destroy them?

ZN.UA (Mirror Weekly) @znua.bsky.social · Sep 8

Ukraine's population is rapidly declining: after the war, there will be five dependents for every two working people. Economist Oleksiy Kushch warns that the struggle for survival will continue even after victory.

#demographics #war #Ukraine #economy
zn.ua/eng/good-lan...

Good Land Does Not Lie Fallow? Is Depopulation a Threat for Ukraine?

The combination of high mortality and mass emigration is leading the country to social collapse. How Ukraine's demographic pyramid is changing and what this means