Political scientist Ihor Chalenko, in a video on the 'Klochok' channel, discusses the Ukrainian government's newly announced 'Warm Winter' program. According to him, this initiative will provide a one-time payment of 6,500 UAH to over 660,000 Ukrainians from the most vulnerable groups. The funds, totaling 4.5 billion UAH, will be transferred automatically through the pension fund, banks, or Ukrposhta—no application is required.
Recipients include children from low-income and internally displaced families, persons with group one disabilities among IDPs, single pensioners, guardians of orphans, and other vulnerable groups. Payments are scheduled to reach recipients by late November, coinciding with the start of the heating season. Funds can be spent at the recipients' discretion.
Chalenko reminds viewers of a similar initiative last year, which reached around 600,000 people. He notes that while the program helped many, there were issues with communication and delays for some recipients.
He also reviews the draft state budget for 2026: main spending will go to defense, with social spending set to rise by 10.5%. Priorities include increased pay for teachers and healthcare workers, and a doubling of student scholarships. Chalenko points out the growing national debt and questions sources of funding.
The analysis also touches on the political context: social payments could be seen as preparing for an election campaign, but with martial law in place, elections are on hold until the war concludes.
