JSC “Ukrposhta,” in collaboration with the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, has announced a nationwide contest for designs of the “We Are Waiting!” postage stamp, which is scheduled to be issued in time for Independence Day, according to a company statement.
According to Ukrposhta’s press release, the contest is open to anyone interested—artists, illustrators, and designers. To participate, fill out the form at this link. Submissions will be accepted from April 17 through May 8.
It is noted that the sketch must be uploaded in accordance with the requirements: specifically, the format must be JPEG, the resolution must be 300 dpi, the maximum file size is 10 MB, the work must not infringe on the copyrights of third parties, and the use of artificial intelligence is not permitted.
The contest will take place in several stages. First, all interested participants submit their sketches via the form; then, Ukrposhta specialists will review the entries for compliance with the requirements. Subsequently, a jury comprising representatives of Ukrposhta, the Coordination Headquarters, and the Public Council—including families of prisoners of war and those missing in action—will select sketches for the final vote, and the best entries will be featured in the “Diya” mobile app, where Ukrainians will determine the winner through a vote. “The sketch that receives the most votes will become the ‘We Are Waiting’ postage stamp—a symbol of Ukraine’s Independence Day,” emphasized the national postal operator.
As clarified by “Ukrposhta,” contest participants agree that, in the event of a win, they will develop additional designs for the “First Day” envelope and postcard, as well as sign a copyright agreement transferring exclusive property rights.
At the same time, the national postal operator reserves the right to offer authors of other works further collaboration on the creation of postal products.
“Sometimes a small postage stamp can say more than a thousand words. We are waiting for everyone, waiting for victory and peace in our hearts. And we invite Ukrainians to join the contest so that the whole world hears: ‘We are waiting!’” the company emphasizes.
JSC “Ukrposhta” is the national postal operator that provides postal, logistics, financial, and commercial services to private and corporate clients. The company has over 6,000 branches and 26,000 service points throughout Ukraine.
Algeria belongs to a group of countries toward which Ukrainian society demonstrates a limited level of formed opinion. According to the results of a survey conducted in March 2026 by the research company Active Group in collaboration with the information and analytical center Experts Club, 74.1% of respondents rated their attitude toward this country as neutral. This percentage is one of the highest among all countries surveyed and indicates a low level of awareness or personal experience of interaction with Algeria.
A positive attitude toward Algeria was expressed by 9.3% of Ukrainians, which is less than the 11.7% recorded in August 2025. The breakdown of positive assessments consists of 3.3% “completely positive” and 6.1% “mostly positive” responses. The decline in this indicator suggests a certain waning of interest or the absence of new factors that could strengthen the country’s positive image.
At the same time, negative attitudes rose from 6.0% to 9.1%. The majority of these are “mostly negative” assessments (7.2%), while “completely negative” responses account for 1.9%. Although the absolute figures remain relatively low, the trend itself indicates a gradual increase in critical perceptions.
Particular attention is drawn to the share of those who could not decide on an answer—7.5%. This is yet another indicator that, for a significant portion of Ukrainians, Algeria remains a country with limited media presence and, consequently, a poorly defined image.
Taken together, these indicators paint a characteristic picture: Algeria is perceived predominantly neutrally, with a slight preponderance of negative assessments over positive ones. This balance differs from countries that have a more clearly defined positive or negative profile in the minds of Ukrainians.
“In the case of countries like Algeria, we see a classic situation of informational distance. Ukrainians lack sufficient contacts, signals, or experience of interaction to form a clear attitude. As a result, neutrality prevails, which can easily shift in either a positive or negative direction depending on external factors,” noted Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center.
Thus, Algeria remains a country with a low level of emotional engagement among the Ukrainian public. The future dynamics of its perception will largely depend on the intensity of economic, political, and informational contacts between the two countries, as well as on Algeria’s presence in the Ukrainian public sphere.
According to a study conducted by the Experts Club information and analytical center based on data from the State Customs Service, Algeria ranks 28th in total trade volume with Ukraine, amounting to $762.9 million. At the same time, Ukraine has a trade surplus with Algeria, as exports of Ukrainian goods exceed imports by more than 4.5 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, ALGERIA, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, SURVEY, UKRAINE, URAKIN
The Ukrainian multi-brand retail chain guide opened its first store in the capital on April 11 at the Lavina Mall shopping center and plans to open seven more locations in 2026, according to the Ukrainian Retailers Association.
Guide began its expansion on March 20, 2025, by opening its first store in the Forum Lviv shopping center in Lviv. The next location was in the Nikolsky shopping center in Kharkiv (opened on September 12, 2025). By 2026, the chain had already expanded to two locations: in Khmelnytskyi at the Lybid Plaza shopping center and in Kyiv at the Lavina Mall.
“We have already signed an agreement with Respublika Park, where the fifth guide store will operate, and we plan to open another 6–7 stores by the end of this year,” Oleksandr Silin, Director of Network Development for Marathon, guide, and Jack Wolfskin, shared with RAU.
According to him, guide follows modern trends with a focus on developing the footwear category; a key feature of the company’s product range policy is the inclusion of so-called challenger brands such as Asics, On, Merrell, and Hoka. There are also Ukrainian brands—Syndicate, Keep, and Optimus Gang.
The results of a survey conducted in March 2026 by the research firm Active Group in collaboration with the Experts Club information and analytical center indicate that Ukrainians continue to hold a high level of positive sentiment toward Switzerland, although the overall share of positive assessments has declined slightly compared to August 2025—from 71.7% to 67.8%. At the same time, negative attitudes have decreased from 3.3% to 0.7%, confirming a consistently low level of critical perception of this country.
The breakdown of responses shows a balanced positive perception: 29.6% of respondents rated their attitude as “entirely positive,” and another 38.2% as “mostly positive.” Thus, Switzerland remains in the group of countries with a predominantly positive image among Ukrainians, although the trend indicates a certain increase in the share of neutral assessments.
A neutral position was chosen by 30.1% of respondents, which is a relatively high figure and may indicate the country’s limited informational presence or a lack of direct experience of interaction. Negative assessments remain minimal: 0.7% of respondents indicated a “mostly negative” attitude, while the share of completely negative responses is virtually nonexistent. Another 1.4% of respondents were undecided.
Compared to the previous period, the key trend is not so much an increase in negativity as a shift of some positive assessments into the neutral category. This indicates a certain cooling of emotional perception, but without the formation of a negative attitude.
“Switzerland is traditionally perceived by Ukrainians as a stable and neutral country with a high level of trust. At the same time, we see that some respondents are shifting to a neutral position, which may be linked to the reduced visibility of specific actions or projects. This does not mean a deterioration of the image, but rather indicates a need for more active communication,” noted Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research company Active Group.
Overall, the survey results confirm that Switzerland maintains a positive image in Ukrainian society; however, the dynamics of the ratings indicate the importance of a constant presence in the information sphere and the development of bilateral ties to sustain this level of trust.
According to a study conducted by the Experts Club information and analytical center based on data from the State Customs Service, Switzerland ranks 27th in total trade volume of goods with Ukraine, with a figure of $994.7 million. At the same time, imports of Swiss goods significantly exceed Ukrainian exports, resulting in a trade deficit of over $780 million.
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, SOCIOLOGY, SURVEY, SWITZERLAND, UKRAINE, URAKIN
State-owned Oschadbank will soon announce the start of the sale of the Gulliver Retail and Office Complex (ROC) at an auction on the Prozorro public procurement platform, the bank’s CEO Yuriy Katsion said at the Forbes Banker forum on Thursday.
“We will soon announce the start of the sale of this complex at an auction on the Prozorro platform,” Katsion said.
The bank managed to seize the collateralized property and take it onto its balance sheet despite significant resistance and pressure from the former owner, who had long failed to fulfill his obligations.
Katsion emphasized that the Gulliver case is of historical significance for the investment climate and changes in banks’ lending approaches, as it demonstrated that the institution for protecting creditors’ rights works, and this allows the bank to adopt a more flexible approach to securing credit operations.
Despite numerous obstacles and attempts to block the complex, Oschadbank managed to fully restore its operations: as of February 1, the facility is operating normally, and nearly all tenants have returned to their usual activities.
As reported, on July 26, 2025, a decision was made to register state ownership of the Gulliver shopping center under a consortium comprising Oschadbank (80% – lead) and Ukreximbank (20%). This property served as collateral for the loan obligations.
The foreclosure proceedings were initiated by the two state-owned banks due to the failure of Tri O LLC—the debtor and owner of the complex—to fulfill its obligations under the loan agreement.
Following the meeting of Oschadbank’s Emergency Commission on October 30, a decision was made to recognize the situation that had arisen—including due to the refusal of Tri O LLC employees to transfer control of the Gulliver shopping mall’s critical engineering systems—as dangerous to human life and the operation of the complex.
On December 1, 2025, Oschadbank’s Emergency Commission decided to begin the phased reopening of the Gulliver complex following the resolution, in certain parts of the building, of the circumstances that led to the emergency.
Since the beginning of this year, the Zaporizhzhia Metallurgical Plant “Zaporizhstal” has shipped 28,000 tons of rolled steel to Metinvest’s pipe plant in Romania—Metinvest Tubular Iași—which joined the group at the end of 2025.
According to information released by the company on Thursday, April marks four months since Metinvest Tubular IAȘI became part of the group. During this time, the plant has been successfully integrating into the company’s production and management processes, increasing volumes and strengthening cooperation with other assets.
It is noted that Zaporizhstal plays a key role in this process: today, the plant fully meets the Romanian facility’s demand for hot-rolled coils.
“Since the beginning of 2026, Zaporizhstal’s steelmakers have already shipped over 28,000 tons of structural steel products to Iași. These products serve as the basis for the manufacture of round, profile, and rectangular welded pipes that meet European standards and are used in construction, energy, and geothermal engineering,” the press release states.
It is further noted that the synergy among Metinvest Group companies allows not only to strengthen positions in the European market but also to ensure stable utilization of Ukrainian production capacities.
“Zaporizhstal” is one of Ukraine’s largest industrial enterprises, whose products are in high demand among consumers both in the domestic market and in many countries around the world.
Zaporizhstal is a joint venture of the Metinvest Group, whose main shareholders are PJSC System Capital Management (71.24%) and Smart Steel Limited (23.76%). Metinvest Holding LLC is the management company of the Metinvest Group.
