The Government of Ukraine has expanded the list of high-risk territories to include Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast. This was announced by Prime Minister Serhiy Korytskyy in his Telegram channel, where he stated that this step is the first of a series of planned measures to strengthen the protection of the capital region. In his words, expanding the geography of the zone will allow additional precautionary measures to be applied and resources to be optimized for the protection of the population and critical infrastructure in the capital and surrounding areas.

The First Step in a Systemic Protection Program

Adding Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast to the list of high-risk territories is not a one-off measure but, according to the head of government, the first element of a broader plan. As Korytskyy emphasizes, further steps will be built sequentially around the mechanism already set in motion. This means that the capital region is now formally equated with the oblasts that had previously already been in the high-risk zone, opening access to a full set of state support instruments that had previously been unavailable to business in the capital.

Expanding the Tools for Supporting Business

The practical significance of including the capital region in the list lies in extending state support instruments to companies whose assets are located in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast. Entrepreneurs who previously had no access to a number of compensation and insurance mechanisms will now be able to use them on an equal footing with business in other high-risk zones. This includes, in particular, the cap on partial compensation of insurance premiums from the state budget, which is planned to be raised to 5 million hryvnia.

The Fuel Sector and Insurance Against Military Risks

Particular attention under the new mechanism is given to the fuel sector. The list of objects that can be insured against military risks will be expanded to include fuel storage tanks, fuel stockpiles, fuel in transit, and specialized vehicles, including fuel tankers. Previously, the government had drafted amendments to the mechanism for insuring military risks, specifically proposing to extend the program to the fuel sector. These measures are aimed at reducing risks for gas stations and oil companies, which bear particular vulnerability due to the strategic importance of fuel infrastructure.

The Scale of Damage as a Factor Accelerating Reforms

According to estimates by Ukraine's Ministry of Economy and Environment, losses to Ukrainian business from Russian attacks in 2026 could reach 10 billion dollars. It is precisely the growing scale of damage to entrepreneurs that, according to sources, became the key factor prompting the authorities to seek new tools for protection and compensation. Including Kyiv and the oblast in the high-risk zone is a logical consequence of this dynamic: without formal recognition of the capital region as a risk zone, business there could not claim a significant share of compensation payments.

Context and Next Steps

Previously, the government had already developed a package of amendments to the mechanism for insuring military risks, which included both an expansion of the program's geography and its sectoral deepening. The inclusion of Kyiv and the oblast announced by Korytskyy became the first practical step in implementing this package. It is expected that in the coming weeks the criteria for selecting companies eligible for compensation, as well as the specific procedures for insuring fuel facilities in the capital region, will be detailed.