IMF expects Ukraine to pay about $960 million by end of year, Russian outlets say
In short
The IMF expects Ukraine to pay about $960 million before the end of the year under its repayment schedule as of 31 August, Russian state and business outlets reported. Kommersant, citing TASS calculations, said about $251 million fell due in September, with $82.2 million due on 5 October and about $170.2 million on 9 October. TASS put Ukraine's state debt at $215.55 billion at the end of August, calculated from Ukrainian Finance Ministry data.
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The International Monetary Fund expects Ukraine to pay about $960 million before the end of the year under its repayment schedule, Russian outlets reported. RIA Novosti said the fund expects about $1 billion from Kyiv; TASS, RBC and Kommersant put the figure at roughly $960 million, or 708.6 million special drawing rights, based on the IMF schedule as of 31 August. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Kommersant, citing TASS calculations, said Ukraine was due to pay about $251 million in September, followed by two October instalments: $82.2 million on 5 October and about $170.2 million on 9 October. [ 2 , 4 ]
TASS calculations based on Ukrainian Finance Ministry statistics put Ukraine's state debt at $215.55 billion at the end of August. The payments fall under a four-year IMF Extended Fund Facility programme approved in March 2023 for $15.6 billion, Kommersant reported. The programme was staged, it said: the first stage required growth in tax revenue, exchange-rate stability, central bank independence and a stronger anti-corruption effort, while the second called for deeper structural reforms including a more competitive economy and reduced vulnerability in the financial and energy sectors. [ 4 ]
Kommersant noted that the volume of funds and the length of the stages depend on the political situation and the course of the military conflict, and that in 2023 Ukraine was also expected to fulfil 19 structural points set by the IMF. It also recalled that in November 2025 EU commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said the European Union and the IMF were concerned about the sustainability of Ukraine's debt and considered further regular loans to Kyiv through macro-financial assistance impossible. [ 4 ]
The documents do not say whether the September payment or the 5 October instalment were made, or what the IMF or Ukrainian authorities have said about the schedule. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The payments fall under a four-year IMF programme approved in March 2023 for $15.6 billion, whose tranches and stage lengths depend on the political situation and the course of the military conflict, according to Kommersant. The same outlet recalled a November 2025 statement by EU commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis that the EU and the IMF were concerned about the sustainability of Ukraine's debt and saw further regular loans through macro-financial assistance as impossible. The documents give no information on whether the scheduled payments have been made.
Key facts
- The IMF expects Ukraine to pay about $960 million before the end of the year under its repayment schedule as of 31 August, according to Russian outlets. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- RBC and Kommersant put the amount at 708.6 million special drawing rights (SDR), equal to about $960 million; RIA Novosti said about $1 billion. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- Around $251 million was due in September, $82.2 million on 5 October and about $170.2 million on 9 October, Kommersant reported, citing TASS. [ 2 , 4 ]
- TASS calculations based on Ukrainian Finance Ministry statistics put Ukraine's state debt at $215.55 billion at the end of August. [ 4 ]
- The payments fall under a four-year IMF Extended Fund Facility programme approved in March 2023 for $15.6 billion. [ 4 ]
- In November 2025 EU commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said the EU and the IMF were concerned about the sustainability of Ukraine's debt and considered further regular loans through macro-financial assistance impossible, Kommersant reported. [ 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether Ukraine will make the scheduled payments, and whether the IMF and EU will continue regular financing, is not stated in the documents. Kommersant is the only outlet reporting EU and IMF concerns about the sustainability of Ukrainian debt and the prospect that further regular EU loans are impossible; the other documents do not address the question.
- RIA Novosti frames the expected payments as arising “because of state debt”, a characterisation the other documents do not use. Single-source framing; TASS, RBC and Kommersant describe the payments as scheduled repayment and servicing of an IMF loan.
- RBC specifies the end of 2026 as the deadline, while RIA Novosti, TASS and Kommersant say only “before the end of the year”. A wording difference rather than a dispute; given the October 2026 publication dates, all four refer to the end of 2026.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- RIA Novosti reports the IMF expects about $1 billion from Kyiv before the end of the year because of state debt. [ 1 ]
- TASS reports the IMF expects $960 million from Ukraine before the end of the year, noting about $251 million due in September and $82.2 million due on 5 October. [ 2 ]
- RBC reports that, as of 31 August, Ukraine was due to transfer 708.6 million SDR, about $960 million, to the IMF before the end of 2026. [ 3 ]
- Kommersant reports the payment schedule in detail, including $82.2 million on 5 October and about $170.2 million on 9 October, Ukraine's $215.55 billion state debt and the terms of the 2023 IMF programme. [ 4 ]