On Friday, April 17, a partial collapse occurred on the main wall of the Khotyn Fortress, according to Khotyn Mayor Andriy Dranchuk.
“A partial collapse occurred on the main wall. And this collapse is quite significant. Everyone is safe! Most importantly, no one was injured. The team from the State Historical and Architectural Reserve “Khotyn Fortress” and State Emergency Service personnel responded promptly, restricting access for tourist groups near the site of the incident,” Dranchuk wrote on Facebook.
He added that the State Historical and Architectural Reserve “Khotyn Fortress” is documenting the incident and preparing the necessary official documents. The Chernivtsi Regional Military Administration, the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, and the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine have been informed.
The Khotyn Fortress is one of Ukraine’s most famous historical and architectural landmarks, located in the city of Khotyn in the Chernivtsi region on the high bank of the Dniester River. Its construction spanned the 13th to 18th centuries, and the fortress acquired its modern appearance as a result of several phases of reconstruction during the periods of the Galicia-Volhynia Principality, the Moldavian Principality, the Ottoman Empire, and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The fortress is considered one of the key fortifications in Eastern Europe and is listed among the “Seven Wonders of Ukraine.”
The structure is widely known for the Battle of Khotyn in 1621, when the combined forces of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Ukrainian Cossacks halted the advance of the Ottoman army. The complex includes massive defensive walls and towers, an inner courtyard, a prince’s palace, and a church. Thanks to its well-preserved medieval appearance, the Khotyn Fortress is one of the most visited historical sites in Ukraine and is often used as a venue for cultural events and the filming of historical movies.
The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has published the admission procedures for vocational higher education programs in 2026. According to the ministry’s announcement, the procedures outline detailed admission requirements and regulate all stages of the admissions process.
Specifically, the conditions include: the ability to submit up to 10 applications, of which up to five may be for state-funded spots; a motivation letter is not mandatory, but some institutions may require one in their admission rules; for applicants after 9th grade, the admissions campaign period has been extended to three weeks; applications are submitted via the online portal, but in some cases—in paper form.
The ministry notes that in 2026, the number of state-funded spots will increase in fields that are critically important for the economy and the country’s recovery: electrical engineering and power generation, automation and robotics, aviation and aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, construction, and agriculture.
Separately, expanded opportunities are provided for applicants from temporarily occupied territories and combat zones: remote submission of documents; taking entrance exams online; admission via a simplified procedure through the “Crimea-Ukraine” and “Donbas-Ukraine” educational centers.
Ivan Verbitsky, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Culture, discussed with Pantelis Alexandros Dimitrakopoulos, the Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic to Ukraine, the development of bilateral cooperation in the cultural sphere, particularly the preservation of cultural heritage, the exchange of expertise, and support for Ukrainian specialists.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Culture, the Greek side proposed launching cooperation with the European Center for Byzantine Studies, which specializes in the preservation of monuments, icons, and mosaics.
“We aim not only to talk about cooperation but to move toward concrete actions. In particular, we are considering the possibility of cooperation with the European Center for Byzantine Studies, which possesses the relevant expertise. We are ready to host Ukrainian specialists and cover the costs of their internships,” the press service quoted the ambassador as saying.
It is noted that the parties paid special attention to the issue of honoring the historical figure of Alexander Ypsilanti, who is associated with Ukraine.
In addition, the interlocutors exchanged views on potential cooperation within the framework of international cultural events, as well as the prospects for developing academic cooperation in the field of Ukrainian studies.
The results of a public opinion poll conducted in March 2026 by the research company Active Group in collaboration with the Experts Club information and analytical center show that Ukrainians’ attitudes toward Saudi Arabia remain largely neutral, though with a slight decline in positive assessments and a gradual increase in negative sentiment. This forms a perception profile characteristic of some Middle Eastern countries—low polarization with a high degree of uncertainty.
The overall level of positive attitudes toward Saudi Arabia stands at 28.0%. Of these, 8.4% of respondents view the country “entirely positively,” while another 19.6% view it “mostly positively.” At the same time, negative assessments reach 8.2% (5.6% — “mostly negative,” 2.6% — “completely negative”). As in previous waves of the survey, the largest share is held by neutral attitudes — 58.7%, while another 5.1% of respondents were unable to determine their position.
Compared to August 2025, positive attitudes decreased from 33.3% to 28.0%, while negative assessments rose slightly—from 7.7% to 8.2%. This trend indicates a gradual shift in the balance of assessments toward a more critical perception, although the changes remain moderate and do not go beyond the general neutral pattern.
The high proportion of neutral responses indicates that Saudi Arabia does not occupy a clearly defined place in the consciousness of Ukrainian society. Perceptions of the country are formed in a fragmented manner, without a systematic information presence or intensive contacts that could shift the balance toward more defined assessments. Under such conditions, even minor informational or political signals can influence the dynamics of public opinion.
“When we see that a country remains predominantly in the zone of neutral perception, it means that it effectively lacks sufficient ‘weight’ in the everyday information landscape of Ukrainians. In such a situation, even small changes in the information landscape can shift the balance of assessments in one direction or another. That is why, for such countries, it is crucial not only to increase their presence but also to shape a clear and positive image,” noted Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center.
Thus, Saudi Arabia remains in the group of countries with a predominantly neutral image in Ukraine, where the level of positive perception is gradually declining, while the negative segment is slowly growing. The further evolution of this balance will depend on the intensity of economic, political, and informational contacts between the countries, as well as on how actively Saudi Arabia can shape its own image in the perception of Ukrainian society.
According to a study conducted by the Experts Club information and analytical center based on data from the State Customs Service, Saudi Arabia ranks 34th in total trade volume with Ukraine, amounting to $530.8 million. At the same time, Ukraine has a trade surplus with this country, as exports exceed imports by more than 1.6 times.
The study was presented at the Interfax-Ukraine press center; the video can be viewed on the agency’s YouTube channel. The full version of the study can be found at this link on the Experts Club analytical center’s website.
ACTIVE GROUP, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SAUDI ARABIA, SOCIOLOGY, SURVEY, UKRAINE, URAKIN
adidas stores in Ukraine have introduced an option for people with lower limb differences to purchase a single sneaker for 50% of the price of a pair, the retailer’s press service reported.
“The Single Shoe service was created for people with lower limb differences who do not need two sneakers at once. In this case, a single sneaker costs 50% of the price of a pair. In Ukraine, the service is available at official adidas stores, including outlet stores, and applies to all footwear in stock,” the company said.
When developing the service, adidas worked closely with Paralympic athletes, including communities from ParalympicsGB and Harder Than You Think.
This service is already available in 23 European countries.
adidas noted that to expand access to sports, the company has created an adaptive basketball uniform for wheelchair athletes and those who play while seated; has begun preparations to launch adaptive running shoes developed in collaboration with people with Down syndrome; and has introduced inclusive design in most of the uniforms for athletes at the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris
adidas is a global leader in the sporting goods industry. The company’s headquarters are located in Herzogenaurach, Germany. The company employs approximately 65,000 people worldwide, and its revenue in 2025 amounted to EUR 24.8 billion.
According to data from the YouControl analytics system, the net revenue of the subsidiary “Adidas-Ukraine” in 2025 grew by 28% to UAH 2.99 billion, while the net loss amounted to UAH 103.3 million, compared to a profit of UAH 43.3 million in the previous year.
According to customs statistics cited by the Ukrainian Poultry Farmers Union, Ukraine shipped 43,470 metric tons of poultry meat to foreign markets in March 2026, marking the highest volume since January 2022.
The industry association noted that physical export volumes increased by 5.3% compared to February, rising from 41,080 tons. However, despite the growth in shipments, the industry’s foreign exchange revenue in March fell by 3.8% to $85.05 million.
“The decline in foreign exchange earnings despite increased shipments is directly linked to the drop in global prices. In March, the average selling price of Ukrainian chicken fell to $1.96 per kg,” the association explained.
The main export destinations in the first quarter of 2026 were the Netherlands (18.9% of the total volume), the United Kingdom (12.4%), Slovakia (10.1%), and the UAE (7.9%).
According to the association, the EU’s share of total exports for January–March was 35.8% (42,400 tons). At the same time, the European market remains the most profitable: it accounted for 46.4% of all revenue generated by Ukrainian poultry producers in the first quarter of the year.
