Fozzy Group is restructuring its logistics operations and opening new stores; there are currently 1,614 job openings, according to Lyubov Ukraintseva, HR Director at Silpo
“We currently have more than 1,600 job openings throughout Ukraine. We are actively looking for people to join the Silpo and Fozzy Group Logistics teams. The past few weeks have brought us many new challenges. In the wake of the Russian attacks, we are rapidly restructuring our logistics to ensure goods reach supermarket shelves on time. At the same time, we continue to open new Silpo stores. In the last week alone, we opened three supermarkets and hired 170 “Outstanding Performers” for them. So there’s a lot of work to be done. And we need a lot of people,” she wrote on LinkedIn.
The HR director specified that there are currently 1,614 open positions: 940 in logistics, 535 in supermarkets, and 139 in production. The company is primarily looking for loaders, receiving clerks, sales associates, cooks, bakers, order pickers, and mid-level managers.
“I’d like to clarify one thing in particular. Recently, there have been reports in the media that Fozzy Group has suspended hiring office staff. It’s important to note that we are continuing to hire people for our supermarkets, logistics, and production facilities,” she noted
The number of foreign nationals with residence permits in Albania reached 32,163 by the end of 2025, a 46.6% increase compared to the previous year, according to data from the Albanian Institute of Statistics (INSTAT).
By comparison, 21,940 foreigners held residence permits in 2024, and 21,460 in 2023. Thus, in the last year alone, the number of foreign residents increased by more than 10,000 people.
Albania’s total permanent population as of January 1, 2026, was 2.336 million people, a decrease of 1.16% over the past year. Thus, the growth in the foreign population is occurring simultaneously with the ongoing decline in the country’s total population.
However, determining the exact current number of all foreigners actually residing in Albania is more difficult than determining the number of residence permit holders. INSTAT explicitly notes that the country does not yet have a unified population registry, and annual demographic estimates are based on several data sources. The most recent national census, conducted in September 2023, counted 15,210 residents with foreign citizenship or without citizenship out of a total population of 2.402 million. These figures cannot be directly compared with the administrative statistics on residence permits for the end of 2025 due to differences in dates and methodology.
By the end of 2025, the largest group among foreigners with residence permits was citizens of Kosovo—6,284 people, or 19.5% of the total. They were followed by citizens of Italy (4,065), India (2,886), and the Philippines (2,401).
Ukrainians are not included in this top four, but their presence in Albania has its own specific characteristics. During 2025, Ukrainian citizens submitted 312 applications for residence permits, accounting for about 2% of applications from the main countries of origin. By comparison, Russians submitted 442 applications.
However, the actual number of Ukrainians living in Albania is higher than the number of standard residence permit holders. On April 10, 2026, the Albanian government allowed Ukrainian citizens to enter without visas and remain in the country without a residence permit until March 30, 2027. This rule also applies to Ukrainians already in the country.
Thus, Ukrainians can legally reside in Albania without being included in INSTAT’s main statistics on foreigners with residence permits. Therefore, the figure of 32,160 people primarily reflects holders of residence permits, rather than absolutely all foreign citizens who are actually in the country for an extended period.
According to Fixygen, August was one of the best months for Bitcoin in recent years, but since the start of 2026, U.S. stocks have so far outperformed.
As of August 31, the S&P 500 had risen by approximately 13% year-to-date, while the Nasdaq was up 13.6%.
After falling from its record highs in 2025, Bitcoin remained about 11% below its year-to-date level even after the August rally, while gold was slightly in the black.
However, over the past six months, the situation has been the opposite: Bitcoin has already outperformed both the S&P 500 and gold.
This clearly illustrates the main drawback of simply comparing asset returns—the result depends drastically on the date chosen.
Bitcoin remains significantly more volatile: it can recover from a decline in just a few weeks—a recovery that would take the stock market a year—but it can just as quickly lose those gains.
Ivan Tchaikovsky, a Member of the Ukrainian Parliament and founder of the company “Agroprodservice,” was named the winner of the “Agribusiness Leader of the Year” category as part of the 30th anniversary nationwide “Person of the Year 2025” program.
Chaikovsky was born on May 29, 1972, in the village of Nastasov in the Ternopil region. He began his entrepreneurial career after serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In 1998, he became head of the “Kolos” owners’ association in Nastasov, and in 1999, he founded the leasing company “Agroprodservice,” which subsequently became one of the leading agricultural producers in western Ukraine.
The company is involved in crop production, livestock farming, agricultural processing, and energy projects. According to information provided by the organizers of the “Person of the Year” program, “Agroprodservice” currently processes more than 63% of its own crop production, ranks among Ukraine’s leading enterprises in dairy and swine farming, and is also developing projects in the clean energy sector.
Tourism has become a separate area of diversification. The company is developing “Agroland,” a family-oriented ethno-park that combines agritourism with the promotion of Ukrainian crafts, traditions, and the rural way of life.
In 2009, Tchaikovsky earned a master’s degree in economics and investment management from Ternopil National Economic University, now known as the Western Ukrainian National University. In 2015, he graduated from the Lviv Regional Institute of Public Administration of the National Academy of Public Administration under the President of Ukraine with a degree in “Public Administration.”
From 2002 to 2015, he was elected three times as a deputy to the Ternopil District Council. In 2018, he stepped down from the day-to-day management of “Agroprodservice” to focus on political and civic activities.
In 2019, Tchaikovsky was elected a People’s Deputy of Ukraine of the IX convocation as an independent candidate in electoral district No. 165 in the Ternopil region. He serves as secretary of the parliamentary Committee on Agrarian and Land Policy and is a member of the “For the Future” parliamentary group.
As part of his parliamentary work, Tchaikovsky participates in drafting legislation on agricultural and land policy, as well as in interparliamentary and European integration initiatives.
In addition to his business and political activities, he is involved in charitable projects. In 2012, Tchaikovsky founded the “Pokrova” Charitable Foundation, which implemented social, educational, cultural, sports, and environmental programs. After the outbreak of full-scale war, a significant portion of the foundation’s aid was redirected to support the Ukrainian military, particularly units of the 12th Special Forces Brigade “Azov” of the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine “Azov.”
Ivan Tchaikovsky has been awarded the “For Labor and Valor” Medal, the Order “For Merit” (3rd Class), and a number of professional and industry awards.
“Agroprodservice” was founded in 1999 in the Ternopil region. The company operates in the fields of crop production, livestock farming, seed production, and agricultural processing, and is developing energy and tourism sectors.
Open4Business is an information partner of the nationwide “Person of the Year 2025” program.
AGRIBUSINESS, agricultural sector, BUSINESS, Tchaikovsky, UKRAINE
The 2026 fire season in Europe has become one of the most difficult in terms of the geographical spread of fires and the scale of their consequences, with Ukraine ranking among the continent’s most affected countries, the Experts Club information and analytical center reports, citing data from the Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS), the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) and other European bodies.
As of August 31, the area affected by fire in Ukraine was estimated by GWIS at 413.1 thousand hectares, or about 0.69% of the country’s territory. If the Russian Federation is not included in the direct comparison, as the system also takes into account the vast territories of Siberia and the Far East, Ukraine ranks first among the countries of geographical Europe in terms of the absolute area affected by fires.
It is followed by Spain — 242.1 thousand hectares, Italy — 118.3 thousand hectares, France — 105.1 thousand hectares, and Portugal — 60.5 thousand hectares.
In Ukraine, fire statistics have an additional specific feature due to the war. Satellite systems record the territory affected by fire but do not determine its cause. Therefore, alongside heat, drought, careless handling of fire and arson, shelling, explosions and fires along the front line may also play a significant role.
The greatest burden relative to the size of the territory is recorded in the Balkans. In Montenegro, about 1.7% of the country’s territory has been affected by fire, in Bosnia and Herzegovina — more than 1%, and in North Macedonia — about 0.75%. Altogether, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Albania and Serbia have about 142 thousand hectares of burned areas.
A separate feature of the season has been a sharp increase in fire activity in countries where large fires are traditionally less common. In Belgium, the area affected by fires has already exceeded the average for 2012–2025 by more than ten times, in the Netherlands — by approximately three times, in Austria — by 2.5 times, and in France — by almost 2.5 times.
In the EU itself, by August 30, 636.1 thousand hectares of burned areas had been recorded within 1,861 major fires. This is 36% less than in the record year of 2025, but more than twice the long-term average for the same period.
On September 8, the 17th International Conference “Effective Management of Agribusiness Companies” (LFM) will be held. The event will be attended by CEOs of leading agribusiness companies, investors, government officials, experts, innovators, and business owners.
This was reported by Interfax-Ukraine, citing the press service of the organizers—the “Ukrainian Agribusiness Club” and the UCABevent agency.
This year’s conference offers a fresh perspective on agribusiness: how to restructure business models, maintain efficiency amid global changes, adapt to European integration, and prepare for a world where artificial intelligence and autonomous technologies are becoming part of everyday operations.
The organizers promise participants over 8 hours of management training and networking, a format designed for maximum interaction, practical insights, and discussions on key issues. Traditional panel discussions will give way to open dialogue, where participants can ask questions, defend their positions, and influence the direction of the conversation.
Conference Program
The conference will be opened by Taras Vysotsky, Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture of Ukraine, and Mykola Mazany, CEO of CNH Industrial in Ukraine.
This year’s program consists of four thematic blocks, each of which explores a distinct aspect of agribusiness transformation:
1. The Strategic Horizon of Ukrainian Agribusiness.
Traditional business models no longer guarantee results, and external factors—from logistical constraints and climate risks to shifts in global markets—are forcing companies to rethink their approaches to scaling and management. In this session, we will discuss where the tipping point lies and how businesses can remain resilient in this new reality.
Attendees can expect:
2. Win-win or shock therapy? How Ukraine’s membership will change the EU’s stability.
European integration is creating new rules, standards, and opportunities for the Ukrainian agribusiness sector. What impact will enlargement have on the European economy, and how can the agribusiness sector adapt to the requirements of the Green Deal without losing efficiency?
You’ll find answers to these questions during:
3. Dismantling the Architecture. Is the business community ready to trust processes that humans cannot fully understand?
Agribusiness is entering a period where automation, artificial intelligence, and autonomous technologies are transforming the very logic of production organization. This section focuses on figures, productivity, labor shortages, and the future of the autonomous enterprise:
4. The Last Recruiter. When Will AI Stop Playing the Role of an Assistant?
Artificial intelligence is already transforming not only individual processes but also the labor market itself. The final session of the conference will focus on the professions of the future, the transformation of education, and how businesses can prepare for this new reality.
This part of the conference will cover:
Terms of Participation and Registration
For security reasons, the exact venue will be communicated to registered participants.
Details and registration are available at the following link: https://cutt.ly/7yarHYei
