The Land Bank project has put 21 plots of land in six regions of Ukraine up for sublease auction in the Prozorro.Prozori system for the establishment of perennial plantations, the project announced on Facebook.
According to the announcement, the sublease term for the proposed plots for planting orchards is 25 years, and their areas range from 0.14 hectares to 91.40 hectares.
The largest number of lots is in the Zakarpattia region — 10 plots ranging in size from 0.40 to 26.87 hectares. Bidding will begin on February 27.
In the Mykolaiv region, five plots are offered for sublease, one of which is the largest lot for planting a garden (from 17.58 to 91.40 hectares, auctions from March 11). In the Poltava region, three plots ranging in size from 3.61 to 21.80 hectares are offered for sublease (auctions on March 12 and 18). One plot each is offered in the Sumy (27.74 hectares, March 13), Kyiv (2.26 hectares, March 23), and Dnipropetrovsk (0.14 hectares, March 6) regions.
As reported, since its launch on October 1, 2024, the Land Bank project has sold more than 60,700 hectares of state-owned land in 19 regions of Ukraine at auction, of which 57,400 hectares have already been transferred to farmers for use.
According to the results for January 2026, dairy enterprises of all categories in Ukraine produced 421,200 tons of raw milk, which is 11.8% less than in December 2025 and 7% less than in January last year, according to the Association of Milk Producers (AMP), citing preliminary data from the State Statistics Service.
The industry association explained that the decline in production in January was caused by prolonged blackouts and the limited ability of processing enterprises to accept raw materials during power outages.
At the same time, the industrial sector recorded growth: agricultural enterprises produced 269.9 thousand tons of milk, which is 4% more than in January 2025. The share of enterprises in the overall production structure was 64%.
On the other hand, there was a significant decline in private households – to 151.3 thousand tons, which is 21.7% less than in the same period last year and 26.7% less than in December.
According to the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture, the negative dynamics in the household sector are due to a further reduction in the number of cows and a shortage of electricity due to shelling, which makes the processing process more expensive. In total, milk production in Ukraine amounted to 6.8 million tons in 2025 (4% less than in 2024).
Despite the general challenges, industrial milk production increased in 13 regions in January 2026. The highest growth rates were recorded in Rivne (+26%), Lviv (+15%), Ivano-Frankivsk (+14%), and Ternopil (+12%) regions. In the Volyn region, volumes increased by 9%. Positive dynamics were also recorded in the Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi, Vinnytsia, Mykolaiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, and Poltava regions.
The business association noted that farmers are forced to spend more money on their own electricity generation. Due to long blackouts, there were interruptions in the shipment of raw milk from dairy farms to milk processing enterprises.
“In the context of the crisis, dairy farms may revise their investment plans for 2026, as it is difficult to increase raw milk production during blackouts, and a significant recovery in demand for dairy products on the domestic market is unlikely in the short term,” the Milk Producers Association predicts.
The American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) believes that the introduction of non-price criteria for the procurement of medicines at public expense should be as transparent as possible.
“The chamber’s member companies support the need to introduce non-price criteria. The lowest price does not always ensure the proper quality of equipment, as a result of which the patient’s needs are not met, and the state ends up spending more money on the healthcare system. It is also important that the process of introducing and applying non-price criteria be as transparent as possible,” AmCham told Interfax-Ukraine, commenting on the results of a roundtable discussion on “Non-price criteria in public procurement of medical devices: European practices and opportunities for Ukraine,” which the chamber recently held with the participation of international experts and the leadership of Ukrainian regulatory authorities.
AmCham recalled that a revision of Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of February 26, 2014, is planned for 2026, including in terms of price orientation in procurement.
“The main criterion for procurement continues to be the lowest price, but, unfortunately, in practice, this does not ensure timely delivery and delivery in full, quality, and sufficient service life of the medical device. That is why, in particular, EU countries and the UK use non-price criteria or value-oriented procurement,” the chamber notes.
In turn, Oleg Kletz, Director General of the Ministry of Health, noted during the event that “price is an important indicator, but it is not synonymous with quality or uninterrupted supply.”
“We are moving towards a more comprehensive evaluation model, where, along with price, proven quality, ability to fulfill the contract, and clinical effectiveness are taken into account. That is why we are engaged in an open dialogue with the market and the expert community to develop an approach that will ensure competition and transparency and, most importantly, the uninterrupted availability of high-quality free medicines and medical devices for Ukrainians,” he said.
The updated Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA5) showed $13.9 billion in losses and $33.5 billion needed to restore education and science in Ukraine, according to the Ministry of Education and Science.
“The education and science sectors have also suffered significant losses. Total losses are estimated at $13.9 billion and cover the infrastructure and assets of all subsectors, from preschool education to scientific institutions,” the ministry said in a statement.
It is noted that the most damage was recorded in scientific infrastructure, higher education institutions, and schools, particularly in the Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Sumy, Chernihiv, Kyiv, Luhansk, and Donetsk regions, as well as in the city of Kyiv.
“For the complete restoration and reconstruction of the education and science sector for 2026-2035, the total need is estimated at $33.5 billion,” the ministry added.
The priority areas for support are: reconstruction of educational institutions; restoration of face-to-face learning through the construction and modernization of shelters and the introduction of temporary solutions to ensure access to face-to-face learning; comprehensive overcoming of learning losses (improved teaching practices, flexible catch-up programs, and psychosocial support are needed to compensate for lost learning time and overcome psychological trauma).
“When we talk about the damage caused by Russia to the Ukrainian education and science system, we are not just talking about destroyed buildings. It is limited access to education, lost opportunities, and educational gaps that affect children’s future earnings and the country’s economic potential — and these consequences are exacerbated as long as the war continues,” the press service quotes Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisovyi as saying.
The RDNA5 report was prepared jointly with the World Bank, the European Commission, and the UN. It covers the period from February 24, 2022, to December 31, 2025. The total cost of recovery in Ukraine as of December 31, 2025, is $588 billion (over EUR500 billion) over the next decade, which is almost three times Ukraine’s projected nominal GDP for 2025.
Fishing enterprises of Vilkovo (Odessa region) cannot start the season of catching Danube herring because of delayed approval of limits by the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture, said the chairman of the Danube Fishing Association Larisa Shchelokova to the publication “Yug Segodnya”.
The head of the association noted that despite the lots for fishing, which were drawn in December 2025, and permits from the State Fishery Agency, which were received in January this year, the actual entry into the water is impossible without the approval of the Ministry of Economy for the Danube Biosphere Reserve. The process is hampered by lengthy correspondence from Ukrposhta and new requirements to provide catch statistics for the last 10 years.
“This is some kind of disaster. The ministry sends replies, demanding statistics that no one keeps for so long. All correspondence takes place exclusively “Ukrposhta”, letters lie unregistered for weeks, and the countdown of the term of consideration begins only after that”, – said Shchelokova.
She added that after receiving the ministerial limits, fishermen have to pass another stage – obtaining permits from the Department of Ecology of the Odessa Regional Military Administration (OMA), where the period of consideration of documents also reaches about a month.
According to the Association’s forecasts, under such conditions, it is possible to go fishing not earlier than the end of March, which actually means the loss of half of the season, which lasts until mid-April.
Now 11 enterprises (about 200 boats and 400 fishermen) are ready to work in Vilkovo. At the same time, Romanian colleagues on the same territory of the reserve have already started fishing without any administrative obstacles.
The Danube Fishermen’s Association appealed for help to the Izmail District Military Administration, but as of the end of February it had not received a response.
During four years of full-scale war, Energoatom has been systematically supporting Ukrainian defenders, allocating over UAH 18.5 billion to the front’s needs, the company reported on Telegram.
“Among other things, the company has provided the Ukrainian Armed Forces with a Mi-2 helicopter, which helps to carry out combat missions. NAEK has also allocated UAH 300 million to the State Border Service for the purchase of 50 armored personnel carriers for the ”Assault Guard“ units,” Energoatom said.
In addition, volunteers actively support Ukrainian defenders at nuclear power plant sites.
“Thanks to the efforts of the labor collectives, nuclear workers are meeting many of the military’s needs by sending drones, cars, electronic warfare equipment, satellite systems, and other necessary items to the front,” the company added.
In October 2023, on the initiative of Energoatom employees, the public organization “Guardians of Light” was created. It was founded by volunteers from the association in Kyiv to respond quickly to requests from the military and systematically provide them with the necessary assistance.
As noted by NAEK, during its work, the organization has expanded to a network of centers in Pivdennoukrayinsk, Varash, Slavutych, and Netishyn. Volunteers constantly support units on the front lines, promptly providing for their needs—from technical equipment to everyday items.
One important area of focus has been the implementation of a program for the psychological and emotional recovery of military personnel in cooperation with the Main Directorate for Psychological Support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the administration of the State Border Service. Since the program began, more than 13,000 soldiers have taken advantage of it.
On April 3, 2025, the support program was expanded with the “Family” program, which provides compensation for 50% of the cost of a sanatorium stay for family members of military personnel undergoing emotional recovery.
The “Family Comfort” program was introduced to support the families of military personnel who are missing, in captivity, or who died while performing combat missions.
Energoatom and the NGO “Guardians of Light” will continue to provide systematic support to military personnel and their families for as long as necessary, the NAEK emphasized.
