The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) has granted approval to Olimp LLC to acquire control over the assets of ADM Ukraine LLC in the form of a single property complex (grain elevator), the agency announced on Facebook.
According to the regulator, the facility in question provides grain storage services.
According to market participants, the subject of the deal is the “Kam’yansky” grain elevator in the Cherkasy region. The facility has a storage capacity of 64,000 tons in metal silos and floor storage facilities.
Once the deal is finalized, ADM Ukraine will effectively have no remaining grain storage assets in Ukraine. The company previously lost control of the “Tavriysky” elevator due to Russia’s military aggression.
Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) is an American agribusiness corporation headquartered in Chicago, operating in 200 countries. The company specializes in the production of food ingredients, animal feed, and biofuels, as well as in the processing, storage, and logistics of agricultural products. Its product portfolio includes grains, oilseeds, flour, starches, vegetable fats, and logistics services through its ADM Logistics division. In Ukraine, the corporation is represented by ADM Ukraine LLC.
OLIMP LLC is a Ukrainian agribusiness company with a land bank of 36,000 hectares in the Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, and Cherkasy regions. It specializes in crop production (corn, wheat, soybeans, sunflowers), livestock farming, processing, and trading. Its asset portfolio includes six processing facilities (mills, bakeries, canning plants), the “Olimp” and “Olimp-Agro” grain elevators, as well as the Kamyansky Machine-Building Plant. According to data from the YouControl analytical system, the company’s beneficial owners are Volodymyr Hetsko and Yuriy Moskalyk.
According to Fixygen, Private Joint Stock Company (PJSC) “Zhytomyr Canning Plant” plans to hold a remote general meeting of shareholders on May 25, at which reports from management bodies for the past seven years (2019–2025) will be presented, the company reported in the disclosure system of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC).
According to the agenda, shareholders intend to approve the results of financial and operational activities for the specified period. It is proposed that the profits earned by the company in 2019–2025 remain undistributed, and that losses be covered by future income. There are no plans to accrue or pay dividends for these years.
A separate set of issues involves a complete renewal of the supervisory board, whose re-election will take place through cumulative voting, as well as the approval of a new version of the charter.
In addition, the plant plans to significantly expand the list of economic activities in the Unified State Register. The updated list will include, in particular, the production of bread and confectionery, prepared foods and meals, and baby food, as well as the wholesale trade in fuel, metals, grain, and dairy products. The company intends to formally establish operations in the fields of freight transport, industrial machinery repair, and real estate transactions.
Shareholders are also being asked to grant preliminary consent for the company to enter into significant transactions during the year totaling up to UAH 20 million. The nature of these transactions covers a wide range of operations: from the purchase and sale of property and securing loans to participating in the establishment of other business entities and investment activities.
According to data from the Opendatabot service, PJSC “Zhytomyr Canning Plant” increased its revenue by 18.3% to UAH 8.56 million in 2025, while net profit doubled to UAH 60,500. The company’s assets grew by 7.2% over the year and amounted to UAH 3.48 million as of the end of 2025, while liabilities increased by 5.9% to UAH 3.08 million. The company officially employs nine people.
PJSC “Zhytomyr Canning Plant” specializes in processing vegetables and fruits (TM “Zhytomyrsky,” TM “Dary Polissya”) and manufactures private label products for the ‘Silpo’ and “ATB” retail chains.
Nibulon Joint Venture LLC (Mykolaiv), one of Ukraine’s leading grain market operators, has sown about 20% of the planned acreage in each of its production clusters as part of the current spring planting campaign, the company’s press service reported.
According to the report, the agricultural holding is implementing an adaptive management model that involves moving away from standardized solutions in favor of regional planning based on weather and soil conditions. In particular, the start of work in the Cherkasy and Kamianets-Podilskyi clusters has been postponed until the soil warms up sufficiently.
Corn remains Nibulon’s key crop for the 2026 season, with approximately 28,500 hectares allocated for it. The company plans to complete corn planting within each division within 10–12 days. Soybeans will occupy nearly 3,000 hectares, with plantings concentrated primarily in the central and western regions.
The most significant changes have occurred in the crop structure of the Mykolaiv cluster. Due to the prolonged lack of rainfall and high climatic risks in the south, the company has completely abandoned spring crops in this region, relying exclusively on winter crops with a short growing season. This will allow for more efficient use of winter moisture and reduce dependence on spring and summer rainfall.
Before the war, Nibulon cultivated 82,000 hectares of land across 12 regions of Ukraine and exported agricultural products to over 70 countries worldwide. In 2021, the grain trader exported a record 5.64 million tons of agricultural products. After the war began, the company was forced to relocate its headquarters from Mykolaiv to Kyiv. In addition to 23 grain storage complexes, Nibulon has its own road and rail transport capabilities, as well as a fleet built at its own shipyard. During wartime, this fleet continues to carry out river transport operations.
The company is also actively developing its own humanitarian demining unit to restore safety on leased lands and assist Ukraine’s agricultural sector. Nibulon is a certified mine action operator.
The use of artificial intelligence has already become an everyday practice for most students and employees; however, in the labor market over the coming years, the key competitive advantage will remain not technical but human skills — communication, leadership, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and the ability to work with people. This was the conclusion reached by participants in the press conference on the topic “Higher education and MBA education in the era of artificial intelligence. Which professions and skills will remain with humans?”, which took place at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Wednesday.
As Director of the Center for Business Education and Advanced Training of the Institute of Psychology and Entrepreneurship Maria Furman reported, the study, conducted on the basis of cooperation between students and business, covered more than 250 respondents from the fields of law, HR, IT, consulting, marketing, management, foreign economic activity, education, sales, and finance.
“Currently, more than 97% of respondents already use artificial intelligence in work or everyday life, and more than 50% turn to it at least once a day. The most widespread tools turned out to be ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude, and Copilot, while the main usage scenarios were explaining complex information, writing and editing texts, generating ideas, translation, data analysis, and preparation of summaries,” she noted during the presentation of the study “The Use of AI in Work and Everyday Life.”
At the same time, according to Furman, the spread of AI does not mean an automatic increase in trust in its answers. She drew attention to the fact that about 30% of daily functions are already being replaced by such tools; however, the largest share of respondents assessed the level of trust in AI answers as moderate — information can be trusted only on condition of verification. More than 50% of respondents always verify generated answers, another 33% do so if the information looks suspicious, and 13% do so when it concerns especially important work. In addition, more than 30% of respondents very often encountered distortion of information, while another 53.6% reported that such cases had happened to them several times.
“According to estimates by the World Economic Forum, by 2030 more than 40% of skills in the world will change, and this means a need for rapid retraining of both current employees and students. She emphasized that higher education must not simply familiarize young people with digital tools, but rebuild approaches to learning in such a way as to prepare specialists capable of working together with AI, rather than mechanically relying on it,” the expert stressed.
According to her, artificial intelligence has already become part of education and business, but its effect lies not in the complete replacement of humans, but in the transformation of their functions.
“That is precisely why analytical thinking, communication, adaptability, people management, emotional intelligence, and creativity are of particular value today,” Furman stressed.
She added that AI will not be able to displace managers, psychologists, HR specialists, communications managers, teachers, mentors, as well as those responsible for strategy and team development, since in these professions human trust, leadership, empathy, and the ability to work with context remain decisive.
For her part, Doctor of Economics, Professor, Vice-Rector for Scientific-Pedagogical and Educational Work of the Institute of Psychology and Entrepreneurship Iraida Zaitseva emphasized that even the most powerful algorithms cannot replace a leader, since they are devoid of consciousness, creativity, and moral reflection. She recalled that a machine can advise cutting staff for the sake of higher profit, but is not capable of assessing the social, ethical, and even geopolitical consequences of such a decision.
“Artificial intelligence is a powerful engine, but only a human should be the pilot who knows where and why they are flying. We teach students not simply to use the tool, but to validate decisions, critically treat the algorithm’s ‘black box,’ and bear personal responsibility for the result. At the institute, AI is allowed to be used as an auxiliary means for structuring material or searching for ideas; however, the student is obliged to indicate the fact of its use, verify sources, and be responsible for the content of the work, otherwise this may be regarded as academic dishonesty,” Zaitseva noted.
CEO of Capolavoro Group (Brazil), lecturer at the Brazilian AMF institute, and investor in technology startups Wesley Lacerda focused attention on the risks of the improper use of artificial intelligence in business. In his assessment, the main danger lies not only in the technology as such, but in the gradual cognitive weakening of a person, when the user becomes accustomed to transferring their own memory, analytical abilities, speech, and even elementary ability to make independent decisions to the machine. In his presentation, he separately named cognitive deterioration, decline of intelligence, weakening of the ability for reflection, and loss of social skills as the main risks of the broad implementation of AI.
“Artificial intelligence should be used as a tool for data analytics, not as a replacement for human thinking. When a person ceases to understand what stands behind the machine’s answer, they lose their own cognitive abilities, and together with them, the ability to make independent decisions,” Lacerda noted during his presentation.
He also drew attention to the fact that the new wave of automation is generating demand first of all for AI analysts, AI engineers, specialists in AI Ops, and algorithmic audit, and not only and not so much simply for IT specialists. However, even in these roles, what remains decisive is the human understanding of what is being done and for what purpose, and not only the ability to write the correct prompt for the machine.
For her part, 3S Agency recruiter Sofia Vorushko emphasized that in the hiring sphere, artificial intelligence creates an illusion of objectivity, but still cannot replace a live recruiter. According to her, candidates are increasingly better prepared for interviews with the help of AI, use correct wording and socially desirable answers; however, the algorithm is not capable of fully reading non-verbal signals, understanding a person’s motivation, their real experience, and their fit with the culture of a specific company. She gave the example of two seemingly identical executive assistant vacancies, for which in practice completely different candidates were needed due to the different management styles of the managers.
“Today the market is evaluating an employee less and less only by hard skills and more and more by soft skills. Communication, resilience, flexibility, adaptability, leadership, and the ability to build relationships are becoming critically important, because they are the hardest to automate,” Vorushko added.
She referred to global estimates according to which 63% of employers call the shortage of soft skills a barrier to business development, 67% of companies are looking for flexibility and adaptability, 61% — leadership and social influence, while demand for social and emotional skills will grow by another 24% by 2030. According to the recruiter, currently 75% of an employee’s long-term success depends specifically on soft skills, while hard skills account for only about 20%.
At the same time, Director of LLC “Formatsiya” Mykola Hoi noted that for a business built on communication with clients, partners, dealers, manufacturers, and suppliers, the direct transfer of decisions to AI is extremely limited. According to him, in his company, which operates in the field of solar energy, about 95% of working time is precisely work with people, and therefore template algorithms are not capable of fully replacing live contact either in sales, in team selection, or in the development of marketing solutions.
“In business, artificial intelligence can be used, but only if its limits are understood very clearly. Founding a business, selecting a team, marketing, sales, work with the client, and rapid decision-making in a changing environment remain the zone of human responsibility, because here what is needed is not templates, but knowledge, experience, and understanding of another person,” Hoi stressed.
He added that the use of AI in HR processes can lead to mistakes if a company tries to assess candidates only by formal features, without giving a person the opportunity to reveal their potential in live communication.
Separately, the participants noted that the Institute of Psychology and Entrepreneurship is focusing on specialties that, in the opinion of the organizers, are least susceptible to automation: personnel management, communicative management, and psychology. The institution reported that the cost of bachelor’s studies is UAH 42 thousand per year, and at the college — UAH 28 thousand per year; cooperation was also announced with partners in the Baltic countries, as well as in Poland, the UAE, and Brazil, where students can undergo internships. Thanks to the ontological approach, which helps develop the personality, and the combination of psychology with up-to-date knowledge from business practitioners, the institute’s students comprehensively develop personal and professional skills. This helps them become high-level managers and not be dependent on technologies. This level of training allows students, starting from the second year, to work in business projects in their professional specialty.
Summing up the discussion, the experts agreed that Ukrainian higher education and MBA programs can no longer ignore artificial intelligence, but also should not make it an end in itself. It is not about a struggle between human and machine, but about a new distribution of roles, in which AI takes over routine, analytical, and technical functions, while strategy, ethics, creativity, empathy, team management, and responsibility for decisions remain with humans. It is precisely these qualities, in the opinion of the event participants, that will determine a specialist’s competitiveness in the next 5–10 years.
AI, EDUCATION, Formatsiya, HR, INSTITUTE OF PSYCHOLOGY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP, IRAIDA ZÁITSEVA; CAPOLAVORO GROUP, LEARNING, MARIA FURMAN, MYKOLA HOI, RECRUITING, SOFÍA VORUSHKO, WESLEY LACERDA; 3S AGENCY
Imagine this scenario: You’re on a weekly Zoom call. A colleague enthusiastically proposes an idea that, in your opinion, won’t just “fail”—it could cost the company money or cause it to miss deadlines. A clear “No, this won’t work” is pulsing in your head. But how do you say this in English without damaging your working relationship, coming across as aggressive, and still being heard?
The art of disagreement is all about professionalism. In Western corporate culture, a direct “I don’t agree” often sounds like a slap in the face. To ensure your opinion is perceived as a constructive contribution rather than criticism, you need to master the technique of “soft power.”
In this article, we’ll explore how to transform your inner “no” into a polished, professional response.
For many Ukrainian professionals, the barrier to disagreement is twofold. First, psychological: no one wants to be seen as a “difficult person.” Second, linguistic: when we lack the necessary vocabulary, we either remain silent or sound too harsh.
British and American business etiquette are based on the principles of Politeness Theory. This means that any disagreement must be “wrapped” in recognition of the importance of the other person’s opinion. Your goal is not to win an argument, but to find the truth together.
Before we move on to case studies, remember these three steps that will make any criticism acceptable:
To sound less categorical, use:
● Modal verbs: could, might, would. Instead of “That is wrong,” say “That could be tricky.”
● Hedges: quite, a bit, slightly, somewhat. “I’m a bit concerned about the timeline.”
● Questions instead of statements: “How would we handle the budget if we go this way?”
A colleague suggests launching a new feature by next Monday. You know that this is technically impossible.
● Bad response: “No, that’s impossible. We need at least two weeks.” (Too blunt and demotivating).
● Gentle disagreement: > “I hear what you’re saying, and I’d love to get this out as soon as possible. However, looking at our current capacity, I’m slightly concerned that a Monday launch might compromise the quality. What if we focus on the core features first?”
Why does this work?
You started with “I hear what you’re saying” (Validation), used “slightly concerned” (Mitigation), and offered a compromise.
You’re discussing a design or marketing strategy. A colleague proposes a concept that doesn’t align with the brand.
● Bad response: “I don’t like this idea. It’s not our style.” (Subjective and rude).
● Gentle disagreement:
“That’s an interesting perspective, and I see where you’re coming from. My only hesitation is that it might not fully align with our brand guidelines. Perhaps we could explore a version that incorporates more of our signature colors?”
Why does this work? You called the idea an “interesting perspective” (a safe phrase that doesn’t imply agreement but shows respect) and used “My only hesitation is…” as a lead-in to your critique.
This is the most difficult level. Here, it’s important to appeal to data and results, not personal preferences.
● Bad response: “I think you are wrong about this market.” (Risky for your career).
● Gentle disagreement:
“I appreciate you bringing this up. If I may play devil’s advocate for a moment — I’ve been looking at the recent analytics, and they suggest a slightly different trend. Would it make sense to double-check the data before we commit?”
Why does this work? The phrase “play devil’s advocate” is the perfect, tactful way to express a contrary opinion while removing personal responsibility for the ‘negative’ stance.
To help you feel comfortable in a discussion, we’ve prepared a list of phrases organized by intensity level.
This is the best way to start. You agree with part of the argument to make it easier to “swallow” your “but.”
● I see your point, but… (I understand your point of view, but…)
● I agree with you up to a point, however… (I agree with you to a certain extent, but…)
● That makes sense, yet we should consider… (That makes sense, but we should consider…)
Instead of saying “You’re wrong,” you say “I’m not sure.”
● I’m not sure if that’s the best approach for us right now.
● I have some reservations about… (I have some reservations about…)
● I wonder if we’ve considered the potential risks. (I wonder if we’ve considered the potential risks.)
● Could we look at this from a different angle? (Could we look at this from a different angle?)
● Building on your idea, what if we… (Building on your idea, what if we…)
It’s important to understand who you’re talking to.
Diplomatic communication skills don’t appear overnight. It’s a muscle that needs to be trained. When the entire team masters these tools, the work atmosphere changes dramatically: passive aggression disappears, and discussions become deeper and more productive.
That is precisely why modern companies are increasingly opting for corporate English courses. This isn’t just about learning grammar or new vocabulary. It’s an investment in your employees’ soft skills. In these sessions, teams practice real-life business scenarios: from budget negotiations to resolving internal conflicts. When you and your colleagues speak the same language—not just English, but the language of professional diplomacy—business effectiveness increases significantly.
The ability to disagree politely is a superpower that distinguishes a leader from a follower. It shows that you care about the project, respect your colleagues, and possess enough linguistic flexibility to resolve complex issues without tension.
If you feel that at critical moments you lack the words or confidence, remember: this is merely a technical issue that is resolved through practice. Our English courses are designed specifically to help you feel at home in any professional environment. We’ll help you not just learn the language, but master the tools that open doors to new career opportunities. Together, we’ll turn your challenging conversations into success stories, and the language barrier into your reliable bridge to the global market.
Ready to speak with confidence? Your next level of English starts here!
Dragon Capital plans to invest over $3 million in 2026 to develop energy-efficient solutions at its facilities, with a focus on solar power plants, Alexander Shmorgun, Director of Facility Management at Dragon Capital PM, told Interfax-Ukraine.
He emphasized that the company continues to increase equipment capacity not only in view of the upcoming heating season.
“All of our shopping centers have gas heating, except for the Piramida shopping center, where heating is provided by electricity. During emergency power outages this winter—which totaled about 300 hours in January—the temperature at Piramida dropped to 14 degrees on the coldest day of the month. “We purchased additional generators with sufficient capacity to power the entire heating system of this shopping center,” he said on the sidelines of UCSC TALKS on Wednesday in Kyiv.
According to him, backup equipment is now necessary even in the summer: “We have also installed additional generators at other retail and office properties. The new equipment enables the cooling system to operate, ensuring a comfortable environment for tenants and visitors.”
Among Dragon Capital’s shopping centers, a 1.5 MW rooftop solar power plant has already been installed at the Victoria Gardens shopping center in Lviv, and preparations are underway to install a 2.5 MW solar power plant at the Victoria Gardens shopping center in Kyiv (formerly the Karavan Outlet shopping center). In the near future, a solar power plant project is planned for the Piramida shopping center with a capacity of just 275 kW, due to roof space limitations.
“We are relying on generators; they are expected to meet 100% of the demand. In winter, the solar power plant can generate about 10–15% of its capacity for the shopping center’s needs, which reduces the load on the generators. In summer, these capacities are projected to cover a significant portion of the shopping center’s needs,” Shmorgun said.
A similar concept of energy independence is being implemented in logistics complexes and office buildings. In total, the company plans to invest over $3 million in this area by 2026.
Currently, Dragon Capital PM manages 25 commercial real estate properties, including 12 office properties, 6 retail properties (the Victoria Gardens shopping centers in Lviv and Kyiv, the Smart Plaza Obolon, Piramida, and Aladdin shopping centers, as well as the McDonald’s location in Lviv), and 7 logistics complexes. The entire portfolio spans over 570,000 square meters, making the company one of the largest players in the real estate market in Ukraine.
