Return of Ukrainian prisoners and budget for next year: highlights for September 13

Return of prisoners

Ukraine has conducted another prisoner exchange with Russia. As a result, 49 more Ukrainian women and men returned home.

The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said that this exchange was “special” because for the first time in a long time, 23 women were released from captivity, including civilians who had been detained by the Russians before the full-scale invasion.

They also managed to release women who had been forced to participate in the so-called trials of Mariupol's defenders.

Budget for 2025

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the draft state budget for 2025. The priorities will be defense and security of the state.

Revenues are expected to reach UAH 2 trillion, while budget expenditures are expected to reach UAH 3.6 trillion. The priority area of financing will be the defense of the country. Another priority will be the financing of protected budget items — UAH 400 billion will be allocated for social protection. Another UAH 211 billion will be allocated for healthcare and almost UAH 170 billion for education.

Will there be strikes against Russia with Western weapons?

Not today, said White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby. According to him, there has been no change in Washington's position.

At the same time, Kirby said that the United States took seriously Russian President Vladimir Putin's statements that he would consider the West directly involved in a war if Ukraine fired the long-range missiles it had been given at Russia. According to Putin, the defense forces would allegedly need help from NATO troops to carry out such strikes, the TASS propaganda agency reported.

Compensation from Russia for the damage caused

An international compensation mechanism for damages caused by Russia as a result of its aggression against Ukraine may be launched as early as 2025, said Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Iryna Mudra.

According to her, the second preparatory meeting on an international instrument to establish a commission to review claims for Ukraine has been held in The Hague over the past two days. It was attended by 100 representatives from 55 countries from all continents, as well as the EU and the Council of Europe.

Ukrenergo appoints a new CEO

Oleksii Brekht has been appointed acting chairman of the board of Ukrenergo, replacing the recently dismissed Volodymyr Kudrytskyi. Prior to that, Brekht was his deputy.

Brekht has been working at the company for 23 years, and for the last two years he has been a member of the Board and was responsible for the operation, restoration and development of the transmission system network.

The newly appointed official noted that the main task for the company now is to prepare for the heating season and restore damaged power facilities.

Farion's daughter demands life imprisonment for murderer

In the case of the murder of linguist and public figure Iryna Farion, the article will be changed to one that provides for life imprisonment.

According to lawyer Nataliia Romanik, the case is currently being considered under part one of Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (premeditated murder), which provides for up to 15 years in prison.

The victim's defense will demand that the charges be reclassified to the second part of the same article, which provides for life imprisonment. This part refers to a murder with particular cruelty, for mercenary or hooligan motives.

Foreign journalists find out the probable reason for Kuleba's dismissal

Former Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba allegedly “annoyed” the head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, who wanted more control over the Foreign Ministry. Because of this, Kuleba lost his position, Politico writes, citing an unnamed Ukrainian official.

The publication writes that Kuleba's dismissal is another example of how President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's entourage is getting rid of those “willing to question and challenge”. The journalists compare the foreign minister's resignation to the dismissal of former Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

Other important news

• On the night of September 13, Russian troops attacked Ukraine with 26 Shahed 131/136 attack drones. Air defense forces destroyed 24 enemy drones.
• Law enforcers suspect former MP and former deputy head of the banned Party of Regions faction Volodymyr Makeenko of tax evasion of UAH 71 million.
• Blogger and volunteer Ihor Lachenkov claims that the Pecherskyi District Court of Kyiv left without consideration the lawsuit filed by Svitlana Kriukova, a journalist for the pro-Russian and banned in Ukraine publication Strana, against him. Her lawyer commented on the statement.
• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that as a result of the Kursk operation, Russians have reduced the number of shells they use at the front in the Donetsk region.
• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with his American counterpart Joe Biden in September. They are to discuss a plan for Ukraine's victory in the war.