The population in Ukraine’s government-controlled territories currently stands at 29 million people, according to Ella Libanova, director of the Mykhailo Ptukha Institute of Demography and Quality of Life Research at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
In an episode of the Open Reality special project, she reported that this joint estimate by the State Statistics Service (SSS) and the Institute of Demography—made without a census—is based on data from mobile operators and government registries. “As of today, this is the joint estimate by the SSS and our Institute—29 million. I always say that it’s plus or minus about 300,000,” Libanova noted.
Since no population census has been conducted in Ukraine since 2001, the researchers used data from three mobile operators as a basis, supplementing it with other sources.
“We used this database as our foundation and supplemented it with various available sources of information for verification and refinement: the labor market; data from the Pension Fund, aggregated with data from tax authorities, which includes not only pensioners; data from the Migration Service and the Ministry of Justice from the demographic registry; we also used the ‘school registry’ and EHealth,” the expert explained.
Libanova acknowledged that this method is not ideal, but there is currently no alternative to it.
She also noted that, according to Eurostat, approximately 4.3 million Ukrainians currently reside in European Union countries.
At the same time, according to Libanova, there is no reliable data on the number of Ukrainians who have left for Russia since the start of the full-scale war. She also noted that a policy of demographic replacement is being carried out in the territories temporarily occupied by Russia: the Ukrainian population is being displaced and replaced by people from other regions of Russia, which, in her opinion, is a continuation of the practice of population assimilation.
“Kernel,” one of Ukraine’s largest agricultural holdings, reduced oilseed processing by 32% in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2026 (FY, April–June 2026) reduced oilseed processing by 32% compared to the same period last year—to 645,000 metric tons, the company reported in its operating report on Monday.
“The total volume of oilseed processing for FY 2026 amounted to 3.185 million metric tons, which is 8% less than in FY 2025, due to limited availability of sunflower seeds on the domestic market as a result of one of the worst sunflower harvests in Ukraine in the last decade,” the document states.
At the same time, Kernel noted that this decline was partially offset by the processing of alternative oilseeds, particularly soybeans and rapeseed.
According to the report, sales of edible oil in the fourth quarter fell by 12% to 338,000 metric tons, reflecting a decline in oilseed processing volumes during the quarter.
“However, sales remained relatively high thanks to the sale of vegetable oil inventories accumulated in previous quarters. Total sales of edible oil for fiscal year 2026 reached 1.407 million metric tons, which is 2% more than in fiscal year 2025,” the report states.
Bottled sunflower oil accounted for 14,000 metric tons of the quarterly total, compared to 19,000 metric tons in the previous quarter.
At the same time, the volume of grain stored in elevators (silos) from April through June of this year totaled 320,000 metric tons, compared to just 34,000 metric tons during the same period last year. As a result, the Group’s total grain intake for the 2026 marketing year reached a record high of 4.341 million metric tons, which is 60% more than in the 2025 marketing year.
“The year-over-year growth was primarily driven by a higher share of corn in the Group’s 2025 harvest mix, which led to an increase in grain processing volumes, as well as a rise in grain intake from third-party suppliers,” the document states.
Kernel’s grain exports from Ukraine in the last quarter of fiscal year 2026 totaled 2.011 million metric tons, which is 33% more than in the previous quarter and more than double the figure for the corresponding period of the previous year. “This was driven by an increase in grain supply on the domestic market, as farmers accelerated grain sales toward the end of the season. Total grain exports from Ukraine for fiscal year 2026 reached 6.265 million metric tons, which is 15% more than in fiscal year 2025,” the report notes.
Transshipment through export terminals in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2026 totaled 2.699 million metric tons, which is 3% more than in the previous quarter and 49% higher than in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025. Of this volume, grain accounted for 80%, edible oils for 12%, and the remainder consisted of vegetable meal.
“For the year, Kernel’s terminals handled a record 9.587 million metric tons of agricultural products, a 5% increase from the previous year, thanks to significant grain exports in the second half of the fiscal year,” the document states.
Kernel Agricultural Holding is the world’s largest producer and exporter of sunflower oil, Ukraine’s largest grain exporter, the operator of an extensive network of logistics assets, and a leading producer of grains and oilseeds in Ukraine. It is one of the largest producers and sellers of bottled oil in Ukraine. It is engaged in the cultivation and sale of agricultural products.
For the first nine months of fiscal year 2026, Kernel reported a 5% decline in net income to $208 million, while its revenue increased by 0.4% to $3.092 billion and EBITDA rose by 1% to $403 million.
The largest suppliers of beer to China in the first half of 2026 were Germany ($53.2 million), the Netherlands ($45.8 million), and Spain ($41.5 million), according to data from the General Administration of Customs (GAC) of the People’s Republic of China.
From January through June, China imported beer from 54 countries, while exporting its own beer to more than 100 countries worldwide.
On July 17, the state-owned enterprise “Boryspil International Airport” (Kyiv) announced a tender for liability insurance for business entities operating at high-risk facilities, according to the Prozorro electronic public procurement system.
The estimated cost of the services is 94,400 UAH.
The deadline for submitting bids is July 27.
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, in collaboration with insurance companies, the agribusiness sector, and relevant government agencies, is developing additional mechanisms for insurance protection of port logistics and agricultural products against military risks, the ministry’s press service reported.
Taras Vysotsky, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, noted that the extent of damage to port infrastructure, logistics facilities, and agricultural products resulting from the recent massive attacks requires further improvement of existing support mechanisms.
“Maritime exports are critical for Ukraine’s agricultural sector and economy. Amid intensifying Russian attacks, businesses must have clear and accessible protection tools,” the minister’s press service quoted him as saying.
Meeting participants paid particular attention to state mechanisms for supporting businesses in the area of military risk insurance, which are implemented by the Export-Credit Agency of Ukraine.
Currently, companies can take advantage of two instruments. The first is partial compensation for the cost of property damaged or destroyed as a result of armed aggression by the Russian Federation. The maximum compensation amount is up to 30 million hryvnias for companies operating in 10 high-risk regions.
The second instrument is compensation for insurance premiums under military risk insurance policies. The state compensates for the portion of the insurance cost exceeding 1% of the insurance rate, up to 3 million UAH, which allows businesses to significantly reduce the cost of insuring their production assets.
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy noted that the stable operation of the Ukrainian Maritime Corridor is critically important for the agricultural sector, as it ensures the export of products, foreign currency inflows to the budget, and supports global food security. Since the corridor opened in August 2023, 209 million metric tons of cargo have been exported through Ukrainian ports, of which 123 million metric tons were grain products.
Agricultural exports, INSURANCE, MINISTRY OF AGRARIAN POLICY, of which 123 million metric tons were grain products., PORT, PORTS, ЭКА
Tokyo, previously considered one of the world’s most expensive cities, has become one of the most affordable major cities among developed economies, according to a Deutsche Bank study.
Rent for a three-bedroom apartment in the Japanese capital is about a quarter of the cost of similar housing in New York. Buying an apartment costs about one-third as much as in Hong Kong or Seoul, and nearly half as much as in London.
Dinner for two in Tokyo costs less than in Warsaw or Prague, and is about three times cheaper than in Zurich and New York. Japan also turned out to be the cheapest of the markets surveyed for buying an iPhone, including taxes.
The main reason for the change in Tokyo’s international standing was the weakening of the yen. Since 2012, the Japanese currency has lost about 51% of its value against the dollar, while the cumulative increase in domestic prices was significantly lower.
As a result, the estimated price level in Japan based on purchasing power parity fell from 125 points in 2012 to approximately 60 points.
Japan has become more affordable for foreign tourists and those earning income in dollars or euros. However, for the local population, the weak yen means higher costs for imports and travel abroad.
