Ukrainian IT has long since ceased to be a local phenomenon. Our developers, QA specialists, DevOps engineers, designers, analysts, and managers work with clients from the U.S., the U.K., Europe, and Scandinavia. We know how to build complex systems, handle heavy workloads, understand architecture, meet deadlines, and find solutions where others see only a red error log.
But in the Western market, strong code alone is no longer enough.
A client isn’t just buying development hours. They’re buying peace of mind. It’s important for them to understand that the team isn’t just “doing something in Jira,” but truly understands the business problem, can explain the risks, propose a better solution, and say in a timely manner: “This is where we might lose time, money, or quality.”
And this is exactly where English ceases to be just an “additional skill.” It becomes part of a specialist’s professional standing.
For a long time, there was a convenient notion in IT: it’s enough for a developer to be able to read documentation. After all, you can open Stack Overflow, read GitHub, and technical articles are somehow understandable. So, everything’s fine.
In reality, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Modern development has long since ceased to resemble sitting alone in a dark room with coffee, code, and heroic silence. It’s constant communication: daily stand-ups, planning, code reviews, demos, discussing requirements, clarifying details, calls with clients, troubleshooting issues, and defending technical decisions.
You can read English perfectly well and still get lost when you need to quickly explain why a task will take a week instead of two days. You can understand the documentation but remain silent during a meeting when a client asks, “What are the risks here?”
And in business, silence is rarely interpreted as modesty. More often than not, it comes across as a lack of confidence, a lack of initiative, or a failure to understand the situation.
The good news: No one expects you to speak with a BBC news anchor’s accent. Western teams have long been accustomed to different accents, varying speaking speeds, and imperfect grammar. In the international IT world, something else is more important: whether your point is understood.
Professional English for IT isn’t needed just to talk elegantly about the weather. It’s needed to:
● explain a technical solution without a ten-minute chaotic introduction;
● clarify requirements before the team rushes off to do the wrong thing;
● calmly mention a blocker;
● reasonably request more time;
● give a demo;
● write a clear comment in Jira;
● provide feedback during a code review in a way that sounds professional, not like an attack.
And this is where the difference between “I know a little English” and “I can work in English” becomes very apparent.
At the start of a career, technical skills can carry a specialist forward almost on their own. Junior and Middle-level engineers often advance thanks to their code, learning speed, and attention to detail.
But then a different game begins.
To advance to the level of Senior, Tech Lead, Solution Architect, or Engineering Manager, it’s no longer enough to simply perform tasks well. You need to explain solutions, lead discussions, work with stakeholders, understand the business context, and take responsibility for communication.
And this is where English often becomes an invisible ceiling.
A person may be technically very strong, but if they can’t confidently present their idea to a client, they’re less likely to be included in strategic calls. If they can’t explain an architectural solution, someone else will do it. If they remain silent in meetings, their expertise stays within the team rather than being visible to the client.
As a result, their career seems to be moving forward, but at a slower pace. Not because they lack intelligence, but because they lack a voice.
For an IT company, the team’s level of English directly impacts client trust—especially if the company wants to work with the Western market not as “cheap labor,” but as a technology partner.
When only the PM or Business Analyst speaks English confidently, a “broken telephone” effect occurs. The client explains the task to the manager, the manager relays it to the developer, the developer clarifies something through the manager, the client responds, and the response passes through several filters again. Nuances are lost at every stage.
And nuances in IT often come at a high cost.
Western clients want to work with teams where an engineer can ask questions, explain risks, and suggest alternatives on their own. This creates a sense of partnership. The client sees not just contractors, but people who think alongside them.
This is exactly what builds trust. And trust leads to longer contracts, more complex tasks, and higher pay.
When an IT professional decides to improve their language skills, the first obvious option is to take a regular English course. And that’s better than nothing. But there’s a problem.
In General English, you can discuss travel, food, hobbies, movies, the environment, or a hypothetical vacation by the sea. This is useful for building a general foundation, but it doesn’t always translate to the workplace.
In the real world of IT, you need to talk about entirely different things.
How do you explain that a task is blocked because it depends on another team? How do you tell a client that their idea is technically feasible but very expensive to maintain? How do you run a demo without panicking? How do you politely disagree with a decision? How do you describe a bug so that it’s understood without needing three follow-up messages?
That’s exactly why English for IT should be built around real-world scenarios: daily stand-ups, Jira, Git, code reviews, demos, technical interviews, email correspondence, calls with clients, and discussions about deadlines, risks, and priorities.
Here, you learn the language not “in general,” but for specific professional tasks.
You can get started without a grand plan to start a new life on Monday.
Translate your work interfaces into English: your IDE, task tracker, phone, and the services you use every day. Write commit messages in English. Formulate tasks in English, even if your team is Ukrainian.
Watch technical talks in their original language. After a stand-up meeting, try to briefly summarize what was discussed in English.
And most importantly: practice not just your knowledge, but your ability to respond in the language. Because during a call, you won’t have time to recall all the grammar from a textbook. You’ll need to think, listen, respond, and stay on track with the conversation.
English in IT today isn’t just a resume booster or a “nice-to-have.” It’s a working tool that influences a specialist’s career, client trust, and a company’s opportunities in the Western market.
Your code shows what you can do.
English shows that you can be entrusted with more.
And it is precisely this difference that often separates a merely good performer from a specialist who is invited to join more complex projects, take on more senior roles, and participate in discussions where real decisions are made.
Eco-Snack LLC (Agronomichne village, Vinnytsia region), a Ukrainian manufacturer of fruit snacks under the Bob Snail brand, has begun selling its products at Walmart, the largest retail chain in the U.S.
“I am extremely pleased to announce that Bob Snail is officially available in Walmart stores across the United States. Starting this weekend, our products can be found in approximately 1,100 Walmart stores nationwide,” Pavlo Miroshnychenko, sales director of Bob Snail’s U.S. branch, announced on social media. Customers can find Bob Snail in-store or order online.
As previously reported, Bob Snail recently entered another major U.S. retail chain, Target, where its products are available on the shelves of nearly 2,000 stores.
According to data from YouControl, the ultimate beneficial owners of Eco-Snack LLC, via the Cypriot company WHS World Healthy Snack Limited, are Mykhailo Siverchuk and Yevhen Shugaev, each holding a 37.19% stake on an equal basis.
Earlier this year, it was reported that the HCGF IV fund, managed by Horizon Capital, had acquired a stake in the company, though the investor’s share was not disclosed.
According to YouControl, Eco-Snack’s revenue for 2025 increased by 22.3% compared to 2024—to 1 billion 813.1 million UAH—while net profit decreased by 37.2%—to 148.9 million UAH.
The brand’s products are available in 26 countries worldwide. Bob Snail has subsidiaries in Poland, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Target Corporation is an American retail chain and one of the largest retailers in the United States. Target’s revenue for fiscal year 2025 exceeded $106 billion.
According to “Serbian Economist,” the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has added Bosnia and Herzegovina to the list of jurisdictions under enhanced monitoring—the so-called “gray list.”
At the same time, Iraq was also added to the “gray list.”
According to the FATF, countries on the “gray list” have strategic deficiencies in their systems for combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and the financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, but are committed to addressing these issues within agreed-upon timeframes.
FATF President Elisu de Anda Madrazo stated that Bosnia and Herzegovina must strengthen the protection of its financial system against exploitation by criminals and terrorists, as well as ensure more effective oversight of the banking sector.
This is a significant signal for the region. Bosnia and Herzegovina remains part of the Western Balkan economic space, closely linked to Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, and EU countries through banking, trade, remittances from the diaspora, transportation, construction, and small businesses.
Being placed on the “gray list” does not imply sanctions or a ban on transactions, but it typically leads to stricter compliance requirements on the part of banks and financial institutions. International payments, opening accounts, servicing companies, transfers, and transactions with counterparties from such a jurisdiction may be subject to additional checks.
This is important for Serbia for two reasons. First, Bosnia and Herzegovina is a neighboring market and a key destination for regional trade. Second, Serbian banks, companies, and exporters working with partners in Bosnia and Herzegovina may face more detailed inquiries regarding the origin of funds, ownership structure, beneficial owners, and the purpose of payments.
From a practical standpoint, businesses working with Bosnia and Herzegovina should prepare transaction documents in advance, verify the authenticity of goods and services, and properly draft contracts and payment justifications. This applies particularly to financial services, trade, real estate, logistics, import-export, and companies with complex ownership structures.
For reference: as of June 19, 2026, the current FATF “gray list” includes Angola, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Iraq, Kenya, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Monaco, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, South Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, Vietnam, the British Virgin Islands, and Yemen.
The FATF blacklist—that is, the list of high-risk jurisdictions for which the FATF calls for enhanced measures or countermeasures—includes North Korea, Iran, and Myanmar.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, COMPLIANCE, FATF, financial monitoring, SERBIA
The National Elections Commission of South Sudan has scheduled the country’s first general election for December 22, 2026.
This was announced by the commission’s chairman, Abednego Akok Katsol, at a press conference in Juba. According to him, the date was announced in accordance with the election law, which requires the polling date to be published at least six months before the election.
The elections are set to be the first national elections in South Sudan since the country declared independence in 2011. Previously, the vote had been postponed repeatedly due to civil war, political crises, the lack of a permanent constitution, security concerns, and incomplete preparations for the electoral infrastructure.
In 2024, the transitional period was extended for another two years, and the elections were postponed from December 2024 to December 2026. South Sudan is governed by a transitional coalition government formed following the 2018 peace agreement and the establishment of a government of national unity in 2020.
Despite the announcement of the date, preparations for the vote remain uncertain. Katsuol stated that the commission is hampered by gaps in legislation, a lack of necessary regulatory instruments, and a funding shortfall.
According to him, the total election budget is estimated at approximately $250 million, while the commission has received about $21 million. If additional funding is not allocated in the coming months, the commission may adjust its preparatory schedule to reflect more realistic timelines.
The disputed region of Abyei, on the border between South Sudan and Sudan, remains a separate issue. The Electoral Commission intends to send a delegation there to assess the feasibility of holding the election.
For South Sudan, the 2026 elections are set to be a key test of the political transition following the civil war. However, their success will depend on three factors: the availability of funds, security on the ground, and the authorities’ ability to complete legal and organizational procedures by December.
Key takeaway: The election date has been announced, but the elections themselves cannot yet be considered guaranteed. South Sudan has formally entered a six-month election cycle, but preparations remain vulnerable due to a lack of funding, unresolved legal issues, and security risks.
South Sudan became an independent state on July 9, 2011, following years of conflict between northern and southern Sudan and a referendum on self-determination. The country’s division was the result of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which ended one of Africa’s longest-running civil wars and paved the way for a vote on the South’s independence.
However, as early as 2013, South Sudan was plunged into its own civil war. The conflict arose between supporters of President Salva Kiir and forces aligned with former Vice President Riek Machar. The conflict was political, ethnic, and resource-based in nature, and its consequences included the collapse of institutions, mass displacement, economic decline, and chronic instability.
In 2018, the parties signed a revised peace agreement that provided for a ceasefire, the formation of a transitional government of national unity, security sector reform, the drafting of a constitution, and the holding of elections. However, implementation of the agreement proceeded slowly, and many key provisions were never fully implemented.
Today, there are two distinct states—Sudan and South Sudan.
Sudan is the larger country in northeastern Africa, with its capital in Khartoum. It has access to the Red Sea, has historically been linked to the Arab-Muslim north, and lost a significant portion of its oil resources following the secession of the south. In recent years, Sudan itself has been experiencing a severe internal armed conflict and a crisis of central authority.
South Sudan is a landlocked country with its capital in Juba. It is rich in oil but depends on Sudan’s infrastructure for its export. The country remains one of the youngest and most vulnerable in the world: weak institutions, intercommunal conflicts, a lack of roads, a budget dependent on oil, and humanitarian crises continue to hinder its development.
The portfolio of new life insurance policies issued by companies in Ukraine for January–May 2026 exceeded last year’s figures by 3.5% and totaled 556 млн грн, according to the website of the National Association of Insurers of Ukraine (NASU).
“The main feature of the current phase is steady growth in regular premiums. Customers continue to show high demand for financial savings instruments,” the statement notes.
In addition, regular premiums paid by customers under existing long-term policies rose by 13%. At the same time, significant progress has been observed in the single-premium segment, where premiums increased by 18.8%.
NASU also notes that during the reporting period, life insurers’ payouts rose by 31% to 870.5 million UAH. Of this amount, 39% consists of payouts upon policy maturity (payouts for the “survivorship” risk), which is 2 percentage points higher than a year earlier.
“This situation is entirely expected, as insurers are actively settling obligations under traditional policies issued more than 20 years ago. Customers are withdrawing their accumulated capital, along with accrued interest, and quite often reinvesting these funds into new policies,” the report states.
NASU also reports that for the first five months of 2026, the ranking of life insurers by premiums written continues to be led by MetLife Insurance Company with 1.318 billion UAH, followed by TAS Insurance Company with 424.9 million UAH, Grave Ukraine Life Insurance with 245.3 million UAH, PZU Life – 171.9 million UAH, and ARX Life – 150.6 million UAH.
Ranking by claims paid: MetLife – 290.9 million UAH, TAS Insurance Company – 218.5 million UAH, Grave Ukraine Life Insurance – 187.7 million UAH, UNIQA Life – 79.2 million UAH, PZU Life – 33.5 million UAH.
As previously reported, as of June 1, 2026, there were 10 life insurance companies operating in Ukraine.
The biopharmaceutical company “Biopharma” invests about $2 million annually in education; plans for this year include opening biology schools in Uzhhorod and Lviv, company president Kostyantyn Yefimenko told the “Interfax-Ukraine” news agency.
“We invest about $2 million in education every year. We have already built two biology schools in Kyiv and Bila Tserkva. After school, the children come to us for extracurricular classes. Ten hours a week: three hours of math, three hours of chemistry, and four hours of biology. It’s free for the children, but they’re taught by top-notch instructors,” said Yefimenko.
He noted, however, that the goal of this project is not to train a large number of employees specifically for the company.
“We don’t need a very large number of people at Biopharma; our revenue per employee is over one million dollars. We need talented people, but not a large number of them. I’m doing this as a charitable project; I want to build 25 such schools in Ukraine. I want these people to start creating their own companies in the biotech sector. This is impossible to achieve with the current level of school and university education. It requires people with highly specialized training. And I hope that we will be able to train such people; they will come to us so that we can help them or invest in them, and create these companies together with them. My goal is to create the conditions for such an ecosystem,” Yefimenko noted.
He announced that the immediate plans include opening two more biology schools, in Uzhhorod and Lviv, which will begin operations this fall.
“Biofarma” is a Ukrainian biotechnology company engaged in plasma collection and specializing in the production of plasma for the manufacture of blood products.
biology schools, biotechnology, EDUCATION, Yefimenko, БІОФАРМА
