Darya Fomina

Darya Fomina

Economy and Finance Columnist
2671 articles
Economics and FinanceExchange Rates and PricesConsumer MarketSociety and Fashion

Covers economic topics at XAB.info. She received her higher education at a polytechnic university with a degree related to accounting, so she treats numbers without enthusiasm or panic: first the report and methodology, then the conclusions.

She writes about exchange rates, prices, taxes, banks, and how government and corporate decisions affect the average person's wallet. She is also interested in society, fashion, and consumer habits — how economics looks in everyday life.

Articles

Collage featuring hosts and participants of STB shows: 'Bachelor', 'MasterChef' and other popular autumn projects

STB Autumn Hit Parade: New Bachelor, MasterChef, and the Return of Legends

Culture 08/18/2026, 19:36
🍂 STB announced the Autumn Hit Parade of 2026! 👨‍🍳 In "MasterChef", there is a new jury with Alex Yakutov and host Olga Martynovska. 🎤 To mark the 35th anniversary of Independence, "Ukraine's Got Talent" returns with Pivovarov and Kravets. 🌹 The "Bachelor" is basketball player Vyacheslav Kravtsov (former NBA). ⚖️ "Weighted and Happy" changes the rules of the game. Waiting for the premieres already this autumn! 📺
Read more →
Industrial smokestacks emitting plumes against a winter landscape — symbolizing the pressure of ecological tax on Ukraine’s mining industry

Ukraine's mining industry demands postponement of environmental tax hike: sector on the brink of collapse

Economy 08/18/2026, 18:07
🚨 Ukraine's mining industry has called for a postponement of the environmental tax hike. The sector is on the brink of collapse due to port blockades, rising UZ tariffs, and shelling. A proposal to increase the waste tax by 382 times would hit citizens' wallets. NAGPU asks to keep businesses alive until the end of the war. #Economy #Ukraine #Ecology #Taxes
Read more →
Man at desk with documents and phone, symbolizing an entrepreneur whose activity may be detected during SNS scanning by Ukraine’s Tax Service

Hunting for the shadow economy: Ukraine's SFT will start scanning social media for illegal sales

Economy 08/18/2026, 16:09
🚨 Ukraine's State Tax Service is tightening control over the shadow economy! Tax officers will start scanning social media (TikTok, Instagram, Telegram) for illegal sales. 📉 🔍 What they are checking: • Unregistered sellers. • Businesses not using RRO/PRRO. ⚖️ Who must have a cash register in 2026: • Sole proprietors (FOP) of groups 2, 3, and 4. • Entrepreneurs on the general taxation system. ⛔ Exceptions: • FOP group 1. • Payment only via IBAN. 👮‍♂️ Violators will be identified jointly with the police. Fines and a requirement for legalization are inevitable.
Read more →
White cabbage white butterfly on a cabbage leaf — pest threatening harvest in August 2026

Battle for the Harvest: How to Protect Cabbage from Cabbage White Butterflies and Caterpillars in August 2026

Health 08/18/2026, 15:58
🥬 Cabbage Under Threat: How to Protect the Harvest from Butterflies and Caterpillars in August 2026 🦋 Warm summer has increased pest activity. Learn how to repel them with folk methods: 🧄 Garlic and onion infusions 🌿 Wormwood and hot pepper 🍊 Citrus peels 🌱 Companion plants: mint, rosemary, sage ⚠️ Important: Do not use concentrated solutions — they can damage leaves! #garden #cabbage #pests #gardening #harvest2026
Read more →
Gardener in straw hat closely examines flowering potted plant, trying to predict rain by its behavior

Nature as a Weather Station: How Gardeners Predict Rain by Plants

Culture 08/18/2026, 15:44
🌧️ How to predict rain without a smartphone? In the era of 2026 climate anomalies, folk signs are relevant again! 🌼 Dandelion closed? 🌳 Chestnut is 'weeping'? 🥔 Potato flower stalks drooped? Nature warns of rain long before the clouds! Read our longread on how plants become weather stations. #nature #garden #weather #folklore #dacha2026
Read more →
Elderly woman reviewing documents about the 2026 pension reform with a 6000 UAH guarantee

Pension Reform 2026: Cabinet of Ministers Confirms Transition to New Payment System and 6000 UAH Guarantee

Economy 08/18/2026, 11:38
🇺🇦 The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a new pension system for 2026-2028. ✅ The minimum pension is guaranteed not to be lower than 6000 UAH. 📉 The fixed amount was removed from the document, tying payments to the subsistence minimum. 👴 The Ministry of Social Policy assures: the level of support will not decrease. #Pensions #Ukraine #CabinetOfMinisters #SocialPolicy
Read more →
Dollar bills and euro sign against a rising graph, illustrating the stability of the dollar exchange rate at 45 hryvnias in Ukrainian banks on August 18

Dollar stalls at 45 hryvnias: where is it most profitable to exchange currency in Ukrainian banks on August 18

Economy 08/18/2026, 10:54
💵 The dollar has stabilized at the level of 45 UAH, the euro continues to rise. 📊 By the morning of August 18, the dollar rate in exchange offices settled at 44.90 UAH. The euro rose to 52.00 UAH. 🏦 Where is it most profitable to exchange currency: ✅ Buying dollars: Oschadbank (Mobile Oschad) — 44.82 UAH. ✅ Selling dollars: PUMB (commercial rate) — 44.70 UAH. ✅ Buying euros: Oschadbank — 52.03 UAH. ✅ Selling euros: Oschadbank — 51.75 UAH. ⚠️ The difference in rates between banks can reach 30-40 kopecks. Read the full breakdown of rates in the article.
Read more →
Woman preparing crunchy pickles without sterilization using a century-old recipe, carefully placing cucumbers into a glass jar on a wooden table next to an open 1918 cookbook

No sterilization and tedious boiling: how to prepare crunchy pickles using a recipe over 100 years old

Culture 08/18/2026, 10:39
🥒 Preserving season 2026: cucumber recipe without sterilization Cook Lyudmila Kutyshenko shared an ancient recipe for pickled cucumbers that is over 100 years old. The main feature is no pots of boiling water for the jars! 📝 100/100/100 ratio (salt, sugar, vinegar) for a 3-liter jar. 🔥 Heating with boiling water instead of sterilization. 🛡️ Cucumbers turn out crunchy and store all winter. The material includes a step-by-step guide and nuances of preservation safety. #recipes #cucumbers #preserves #cooking #Styler
Read more →
Young couple discussing cashback on a smartphone, illustrating the topic of choosing beneficial offers and avoiding financial mistakes

The Myth of the Maximum Percentage: Why Ukrainians Lose Money by Choosing Cashback Incorrectly

Economy 08/18/2026, 10:24
💸 How not to lose money on cashback: an expert from Globus Bank explains why a high percentage is a trap. 🔍 The main mistake of Ukrainians is choosing cashback categories based on ads rather than real spending. ✅ Advice: analyze your budget for 3 months. Better 3% on groceries than 20% on rare purchases. 🚫 Don't spend more for bonuses! Cashback is an optimization tool, not a stimulus for shopping. #finance #cashback #banks #savings #GlobusBank
Read more →