Politics
Russian Citizens in Mongolia Can Vote at Three Polling Sites
Published: 2026-09-20
Russian citizens residing in Mongolia will be able to vote in the State Duma election at polling stations in Ulaanbaatar, Erdenet and Darkhan, according to the Russian Embassy in Mongolia. The embassy said voting will take place on September 20, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and that citizens aged 18 or older may vote without advance registration if they bring identification documents. The announcement described the vote as occurring on the coming Sunday. It did not specify the addresses of the three sites or provide further voting procedures. Russian citizens living in 152 countries are eligible to participate in the State Duma election through overseas voting arrangements.
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Economy
DP Forum Challenges Budget Expansion and Its Business Impact
Published: 2026-09-20
The DP (Democratic Party) parliamentary group held a September 18 public forum on budget policy and the business environment, bringing together lawmakers, economists, finance specialists and business representatives to discuss the draft 2027 budget. Participants examined recent revenue and spending structures, budget expansion and potential effects on private investment, financial markets and macroeconomic stability. DP Secretary General S. Bayartsogt said fiscal policy should remain within the Fiscal Stability Law rather than changing the law. Economist Ts. Lut-Ochir called the budget election-focused. Other participants criticized what they described as optimistic revenue projections, subsidized lending, higher borrowing costs after the Bank of Mongolia raised its policy rate, and state-linked companies’ role in the market. The statements were participants’ assessments at the DP parliamentary-group forum.
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Diplomacy
Published: 2026-09-20
President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh is scheduled to attend the general debate of the 81st United Nations General Assembly session in New York, followed by a working visit to Chicago. During the visit, he plans to meet Mongolian citizens living in the central United States on September 24, 2026. The meeting is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. local time at the Mahogany ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Schaumburg. Mongolia’s Consulate General in Chicago advised attendees to arrive one hour early because security screening will be required before entry. The planned gathering will take place during the president’s United States visit for Mongolian citizens in the central region.
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Infrastructure
MIAT Postpones Narita Flights by One Day Due to Typhoon
Published: 2026-09-20
MIAT Mongolian Airlines has postponed its OM501 and OM502 Ulaanbaatar-Narita services scheduled for September 21 by one day because of a typhoon in Japan. The replacement OM501A flight is scheduled to depart Ulaanbaatar at 05:00 on September 22 and arrive at Narita at 09:55. Return flight OM502A is scheduled to leave Narita at 12:00 and arrive in Ulaanbaatar at 16:35. The airline said the timetable change was made to maintain flight safety. Passengers seeking information or assistance related to the revised schedule can contact MIAT at 11-333-999. The change applies specifically to the two listed September 21 services; the reports do not indicate changes to other routes or flights.
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Road Near Nisekh Closes Until September 22 for Flood-Protection Work
Published: 2026-09-20
Road traffic near Nisekh in Khan-Uul District’s 10th khoroo is temporarily closed from 22:00 on September 18 until 06:00 on September 22. The closure supports construction of Nisekh flood-protection infrastructure, including excavation of the roadway at the end of a flood embankment to create an under-road outlet. The Geodesy and Water Construction Agency, a local publicly owned enterprise, is carrying out the work. The Public Transport Policy Office said routes Ch:67, Kh:9, Kh:7 and Ch:7 will operate on temporarily changed alignments during the closure. These routes serve Morin Davaa, Nisekh, Biocombinat, Yarmag’s third stop, Tuul village, the Khangardi complex, Mongolian National University of Education, and Bombogor shopping center.
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2027 Budget to Address Arvaikheer Heating Plant Financing
Published: 2026-09-20
Prime Minister N. Uchral visited Ovorkhangai Province on September 19 and said financing for the Arvaikheer heating plant will be addressed in the 2027 budget, with construction accelerated through a public-private partnership. The project is 45 percent complete but has been fully halted for the past year because of financing. The government plans to use Mongolia’s dividend income from the Oyu Tolgoi project to complete heating plants in nine provinces. In Ulaanbaatar, 30 percent of funding for Thermal Power Plant No. 6 is planned from the budget and Oyu Tolgoi dividends, with private financing covering the remaining 70 percent. A 50 MW solar project in Khar Khorin is also 45 percent complete.
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Environment
Authorities Warn of Wildfire Risk After Four Capital-Area Calls
Published: 2026-09-20
Emergency authorities have recorded four forest and grassland fire calls in the capital area so far this year and warned residents to take precautions during dry conditions. A reported fire broke out at 13:15 on September 16 in Ikh Khalzan’s slope in Torkhurakh Valley, Bogd Khan Mountain, within Bayanzurkh District’s 11th khoroo. A total of 66 personnel from emergency units in Bayanzurkh, Khan-Uul and Nalaikh districts, the Capital Rescue Unit, and the Bogd Khan Mountain Strictly Protected Area administration extinguished it. Authorities advised people to fully extinguish campfires, matches, cigarette butts and embers; place hot ash in covered containers or pits; avoid burning rubbish or grass outdoors; and not leave incense, juniper or candles unattended during religious rituals.
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Health
Ulaanbaatar Plans Up to 1,607 Pediatric Beds if Flu Outbreak Worsens
Published: 2026-09-20
Ulaanbaatar has opened 772 pediatric care beds at 12 health facilities across nine districts and plans to expand capacity to 1,607 beds if influenza and influenza-like illnesses worsen. The plan was discussed during Mayor B. Pürevdagva’s visit to the Bayangol District Health Center on September 20. Flu vaccination coverage in Bayangol District has reached 54.2 percent. The center also reported monitoring 2,672 cancer cases as of June, while its 10 palliative-care beds are insufficient and need expansion to 25. Bayangol District has 52 patients with chronic kidney failure and four dialysis machines installed in 2016 that have not been upgraded. The mayor directed officials to address intensive-care equipment, palliative-care expansion, a proposed oxygen plant, and dialysis equipment.
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Seasonal Flu Vaccination Reaches 49 Percent of Target Groups
Published: 2026-09-20
As of September 18, 245,108 people in target groups nationwide had received seasonal influenza vaccinations, bringing coverage to 49 percent, health authorities reported. Coverage in Ulaanbaatar was 53.8 percent, compared with 42.3 percent in provincial areas. Reported coverage in Songinokhairkhan District was 67 percent, in Khan-Uul District 62.5 percent, and in Bagakhangai District 57.6 percent. Among provinces, Selenge reached 58.6 percent and Dornogovi 58.3 percent. In Ulaanbaatar, vaccination coverage was 22.4 percent for children aged six months to one year, 21.9 percent for those aged one to two, and 61.3 percent for children aged three to six. Health authorities urged families to be vaccinated before influenza activity increases.
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