July 1, 2026, Kyiv. The beginning of the second half of the year in Ukraine was marked by high intensity of hostilities, new successful operations of Ukrainian drones deep behind enemy lines, as well as the start of a large-scale package of reforms. From today, cardinal changes in financial monitoring of bank transfers, new limits and updated rules for accruing payments for military personnel and pensioners come into force. As reported by the correspondent of the analytical department of the information portal 34.ua , the state simultaneously maintains the stability of the front line and adapts the domestic economy to long-term challenges.
Operational situation: strikes on Kharkiv, Kherson and Zaporizhia
Wednesday, July 1, was the day of another cynical shelling of Ukrainian cities by Russian occupation forces, who are actively using heavy guided weapons in residential areas.
Tragedy in Kharkiv: Russian aircraft carried out at least 5 strikes with KABs on the city. Three hits were recorded in Osnovyanske, two more in Kyivskyi district. One of the munitions hit a private residential building directly. At the moment, there are no known deaths and injuries, emergency services continue to sort through the rubble.
Terror in Kherson and Mykolaiv Oblast: the occupiers attacked Kherson twice in one day — in the morning a civilian minibus came under fire, and in the afternoon the enemy struck the city center with a “shaheed” (there were casualties). In Snihurivka, Mykolaiv Oblast, an enemy drone caused a large-scale fire in a construction supermarket with an area of over 5,000 sq. meters.
Strike on Zaporizhia: in the morning, tactical aviation hit the coastal recreational area of the city (Sahaidachny tract). A civilian woman was injured. In total, over 840 attacks were recorded in the Zaporizhia region during the day.
Long-range strikes by the Armed Forces of Ukraine: attack on the Ufa refinery and the Dubna satellite communications center
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed another successful operation of the Defense Forces in the deep rear of the Russian Federation. Ukrainian long-range kamikaze drones have again attacked an oil refinery in Ufa (Republic of Bashkortostan) – 1,300 km from the front line. This facility is a key manufacturer of lubricants for Russian military equipment. Experts note that the systematic strikes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have already provoked a fuel crisis in dozens of Russian regions.
In addition, the Dubna space and satellite communications center in the Moscow region was hit again successfully, which will significantly complicate the coordination of individual links of the Russian military command.
According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the enemy’s total losses in manpower as of the morning of July 1 exceeded 1,404,760 people (+1,210 per day).
Large-scale changes in the rear: what has come into effect in Ukraine since July 1
July 1 is a traditional date for the launch of major regulatory and financial innovations. The main reforms affected several areas:
1. Strengthening the National Bank’s financial monitoring
Starting today, the NBU is introducing an uncompromising rule for self-service terminals (IBOX and others): replenishing any card accounts with cash requires mandatory authorization via a one-time SMS code to the phone . Anonymous transactions are completely blocked. The only exceptions are payment of utility bills, fines, taxes, and mobile top-up up to UAH 500 per month.
2. Updates and details of military payments
From July 1, defenders receive the first payments under the new Cabinet Resolution No. 768 (the de facto system has been in effect since June). All servicemen, regardless of their place of service, have been given a fixed “rear” allowance of UAH 10,000 (the minimum in the rear is now from UAH 30,000). Combat payments are clearly differentiated by zones:
Direct line of contact — 100,000 UAH/month ;
Performing tasks at the platoon support point (VOP) — 170,000 UAH/month ;
To the company base (ROP) — 70,000 UAH/month (proportionate to days).
Important for accountants and businesses: The State Treasury Service opened new budget accounts for the payment of military levies on July 1. From now on, these funds will go to the special fund of the State Budget exclusively for the financial support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The details must be checked in the Electronic Cabinet of the State Tax Service.
3. Age-related pension increases and expansion of the Affordable Medicines program
There is no general indexation of pensions in July, but an automatic mechanism for accruing age-related allowances has been launched for those whose pension is less than UAH 10,340. Accrual is not made from the 1st, but directly from the date of birth: from 70 years (+300 UAH), from 75 years (+456 UAH), from 80 years (+570 UAH).
The government’s Affordable Medicines program has also expanded to include 51 new names of free or partially reimbursed drugs — mainly for blood pressure control, heart failure treatment, and rehabilitation after heart attacks.
Expert opinions
Mykhailo Zhyrokhov, military and security analyst: “July began with the continuation of the trends of a tough air war. Russia is compensating for its failures on the front with strikes by KABs on Kharkiv and drones on Kherson and Zaporizhia. In return, Ukraine is demonstrating colossal technological growth: repeated pinpoint hits in Ufa 1,300 km away and in Dubna near Moscow prove that our unmanned systems are capable of systematically destroying the strategic rear and disrupting the enemy’s logistics. The key task for the second half of 2026 is to scale up our own air defense and mobile electronic warfare systems to cover civilian infrastructure from daily raids.”
Ihor Melnyk, infrastructure and logistics systems analyst: “The launch of strict financial monitoring from July 1 is a logical step by the NBU within the framework of the National Revenue Strategy. The transition to mandatory SMS codes when replenishing cards will significantly reduce the share of shadow transactions. At the same time, the new scale of payments to military personnel and the change in military levy accounts are an attempt to stabilize the defense budget. The main infrastructure test of the month is to maintain the stability of energy networks in the summer heat, when substation repairs have to be carried out in parallel with strict schedules of consumption restrictions.”