Trending on X, 6 PM: Davaadalai hearing, Speaker's banknote gifts, Oyu Tolgoi, AI-92, whistleblowers, snow, Russian refineries, Kyiv penthouse

Below are eight topics Mongolian users discussed on X between 10:00 and 18:30 on November 11. The court hearing in the case against former Ulaanbaatar deputy governor T. Davaadalai, the Speaker's commemorative banknote gifts to MPs, Oyu Tolgoi dividends and the price of AI-92 petrol led the conversation. Topics covered in earlier roundups are repeated only when there is a new development. Engagement figures are as of 18:29.

1. Preliminary hearing held in the Davaadalai case; prosecutor says his wife has sought immigration in the US (new development)

The November 7 roundup covered T. Davaadalai avoiding reporters; his case has now reached the courtroom. A preliminary hearing was held at the Bayanzurkh, Sukhbaatar and Chingeltei District Criminal Court of First Instance in the case against the former first deputy governor of Ulaanbaatar, his brother T. Munkhdalai and two others. The court rejected a request to postpone because the defence lawyers were absent, and the prosecutor said Davaadalai's wife, B. Ankhtuya, had been traced through an Interpol blue notice and that the reply showed she is in the US and has filed an immigration request. Courtroom clips spread widely on X, and in them the defendants said they had been charged on the basis of hearsay. No court has found them guilty. Read more in our separate report.

2. Speaker S. Byambatsogt's gift of MNT 100,000 commemorative banknotes to all 126 MPs draws criticism

At a ceremonial session of parliament marking Mongolian Pride Day and the 864th anniversary of Chinggis Khaan's birth, Speaker S. Byambatsogt handed MPs a greeting together with a MNT 100,000 commemorative banknote issued by the Bank of Mongolia in 2025, which is not legal tender. iSee.mn and Medee.news calculated that, at the note's sale price of MNT 100,000, the gifts are worth MNT 12.6 million in total. It is not clear how the gifts were paid for. MP Kh. Baasanjargal told ShugelUleegch.mn that a gift should carry symbolic meaning and that he did not understand what a MNT 100,000 note was meant to symbolise, while some users defended it as a collector's item.

3. Oyu Tolgoi LLC formally tells the government it will pay dividends in 2027 (new development)

This morning's roundup covered a petition to pay every citizen MNT 857,000 from Oyu Tolgoi dividends, and there was news on the subject later in the day. At today's cabinet meeting, Finance Minister Z. Mendsaikhan presented an official letter from Rio Tinto and Oyu Tolgoi LLC saying dividends will be paid in 2027, and Erdenes Oyu Tolgoi LLC said a working group is deciding on the schedule and method of payment. Some users wrote that MNT 3 trillion would come to Mongolia, but no dividend amount has been officially announced.

4. Prime Minister orders proposals to stabilise and cut the price of AI-92 petrol (new development)

Earlier roundups covered AI-92 supply problems and queues; today the cabinet took up prices. Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources G. Damdinnyam wrote on X that Prime Minister N. Uchral had instructed Finance Minister Z. Mendsaikhan and him to prepare measures to stabilise and reduce the price of AI-92 petrol and present them at next week's cabinet meeting. In footage published by Elch.mn, the Prime Minister said AI-92 and Euro-92 prices had risen by at least MNT 1,000, that people should not carry that increase for long, and that a proposal to cover the price difference from the budget would be presented next week.

5. Government decides to submit a whistleblower protection bill to parliament (new development)

The November 7 roundup covered a debate about whistleblowers facing lawsuits. Today the government decided to submit to parliament a bill on protecting whistleblowers and a bill on ensuring safety in criminal proceedings. Users welcomed the decision, though some recalled that a similar bill was submitted in 2021 and said they would watch whether this one passes.

6. Forecasters warn of heavy snow and a cold snap on November 12–14

The National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring warned of heavy snow in Bayan-Ulgii and northern Khovd on the 12th, in Uvs and Zavkhan overnight into the 13th, and in Arkhangai, southern Khuvsgul and Bulgan and western Tuv on the 13th. MNB reported that sleet, snow and blizzards are expected across most central provinces on the 14th, with temperatures dropping in most areas. Herders, drivers and the public were urged to take care because visibility will be poor and roads and passes icy.

7. Reuters: Ukrainian drone strikes have hit about 30% of Russia's oil refining capacity

Citing two industry sources, Reuters reported on November 10 that renewed Ukrainian drone attacks since late October have cut Russia's oil refining capacity by about 30%. Nine of Russia's 35 major refineries suffered disruptions or emergencies over the past week, including plants in Ryazan, Yaroslavl, the Volga region and Kirishi. Ukrinform reported that Rosneft has reinstated limits on fuel sales at its filling stations. Because Mongolia imports most of its fuel from Russia, Mongolian users linked the news to domestic AI-92 supplies.

8. Luxury penthouse found in a Ukrainian probe into energy-protection contracts draws attention

Police in Kyiv region are investigating possible overpricing of metal products under contracts worth a total of UAH 1.89 billion to build protective structures for energy facilities. Photos that spread online after searches show a penthouse with gilding, marble columns, a pool and a live crocodile, plus a Rolls-Royce. Ukrainian media link them to Dnipro businessman Vladyslav Sokolov, but ownership has not been officially confirmed. Some Mongolian users described him as a Kyiv energy official, whereas Ukrainian media describe him as a businessman.

Methodology: We ranked posts from about 200 major news and influential accounts found through X search, plus more than 50 keyword searches, by an engagement score (likes + 2× reposts + views/100), and checked the facts against news sites. Posts that could not be verified or that carried a risk of defamation were left out. Views expressed by individuals on X do not represent the position of egov.mn.