Ukraine will receive $1.3 million from Sweden through UNESCO in 2026–2027 to implement projects aimed at preserving cultural heritage—particularly at the Khortytsia National Reserve—and strengthening institutional capacity, Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga announced.
According to him, Sweden is providing this support to protect Ukraine’s cultural heritage sites threatened by the war.
Sybiha noted that Russia’s brutal and aggressive war against Ukraine aims to destroy cultural heritage and undermine the country’s cultural identity.
“Sweden’s support will ensure the protection and preservation of Ukrainian cultural heritage sites threatened by Russia’s war against Ukraine. Protecting culture means preserving our identity and resilience, which is vital for the future of Ukraine and all of Europe. I thank Sweden for its support of Ukraine,” the minister noted in a post on social media.
The export potential of Ukraine’s agricultural sector in the upcoming 2026/2027 season will grow significantly thanks to the sale of accumulated record-high stocks.
This was announced by Maksym Kharchenko, an analyst at UkrAgroConsult, during the Black Sea Grain.Kyiv conference on Wednesday.
According to the agency’s forecast, the total harvest of major grain crops in Ukraine next season is expected to reach 59.4 million tons, while oilseeds are projected at 23 million tons. Meanwhile, the total volume of carryover grain stocks will increase by 293% and reach nearly 13 million tons. The most significant growth is expected for wheat—up to 4.7 million tons (370% more than previous figures), barley—up to 1.36 million tons, and peas—up to 222,000 tons.
Due to active warehouse unloading, wheat exports in the new season could rise to 20 million tons, and corn exports to 28.5 million tons. At the same time, production growth is forecast in the oilseed segment: the sunflower harvest could reach 13.7 million tons compared to 10.8 million tons last year, rapeseed—3.6 million tons, and soybeans—5.7 million tons. At the same time, carryover stocks of sunflower seeds are expected to decrease by 61%, while soybean stocks will increase by 50%—to 101,000 tons.
The forecast for the production and export of processed products also shows positive trends. Specifically, sunflower oil production is expected to reach 6 million tons, with exports at 5.6 million tons. Sunflower meal production is projected at 5.8 million tons, with an export potential of 4.65 million tons.
Analysts expect soybean oil production in the 2026/2027 season to reach 1 million tons, of which 950,000 tons are planned for export. Soybean meal output will total 4.4 million tons, with an export potential of 3.55 million tons.
In the rapeseed processing segment, oil production is projected at 1.55 million tons, with nearly the entire volume (1.5 million tons) to be exported, while rapeseed meal production and exports will amount to 1.95 million tons and 1.8 million tons, respectively.
According to experts, an analysis of production in the Black Sea region indicates a stabilization of the overall harvest. In particular, wheat production in Russia for the 2026/2027 season is projected at 85.8 million tons, compared to 92.8 million tons this year, though exports will remain consistently high—around 47 million tons. As for the countries of the Danube region, the total harvest is expected to reach 64.96 million tons. An increase in grain production is forecast in Hungary—to 8.88 million tons in total for wheat and corn—as well as in Poland—by 1.7%. In contrast, Bulgaria is expected to see a 13.4% decline, to 6.2 million tons of wheat, while in Romania, wheat and corn production will stand at 9.1 million tons and 10.8 million tons, respectively.
“We see two main factors as we enter this season: rising prices for diesel fuel and nitrogen fertilizers. Small producers have been hit the hardest, as they are forced to purchase inputs right before the start of the planting season. This problem will have an even greater impact on the 2027 harvest. There is a realistic scenario of lower yields not only in Ukraine but also globally, which will put significant pressure on prices,” Kharchenko concluded.
Ukraine retains its status as the world’s largest exporter of sunflower oil, with a market share of about 33%, even as Russia actively expands its processing capacity and attempts to displace Ukrainian producers from their traditional markets.
This was reported by Maksym Kharchenko, an analyst at the information and analytical agency “UkrAgroConsult.”
“Russia is constantly breathing down our necks, ramping up processing and, in fact, hot on our heels. They have already partially managed to take advantage of the situation that arose after 2022 and capture our traditional market in India, where we were the No. 1 supplier. A similar picture is emerging in the markets of Turkey and Italy, where the competitor is significantly strengthening its presence,” he said at the Black Sea Grain.Kyiv conference on Wednesday.
According to the analyst, Ukraine’s sunflower processing industry remains critically dependent on exports, as domestic consumption does not exceed 300,000 tons. Despite an export potential of up to 6 million tons of oil per year, shipment volumes have fallen short of 5 million tons in recent years due to logistics and yield issues. It is noteworthy that in February 2026, the margin for sunflower processing in Ukraine remained at around 7%.
According to the agency’s data, the top 5 global sunflower oil exporters include Ukraine (33%), Russia (30%), Argentina (14%), as well as Turkey and Kazakhstan (5% each).
“Ukrainian oil remains in the premium segment. We expect supply in the Black Sea region to increase, which may put some downward pressure on prices. However, given the instability in the Middle East and the rising cost of soybean oil, our product will remain competitive,” says Kharchenko.
The expert added that competition is intensifying in other segments as well. In the new 2026/2027 season, Russia has increased its winter rapeseed acreage by more than 50%, targeting the Chinese market. Although Ukraine’s and Russia’s interests in the rapeseed oil market currently hardly overlap, UkrAgroConsult forecasts an inevitable clash of interests in the future.
At the same time, Ukraine is demonstrating rapid growth in rapeseed oil exports—shipment volumes are already twice as high as last year’s. Key buyers include EU countries (Poland, Spain, Italy) and Thailand. The situation is similar with soybeans: soybean meal exports have jumped by 50%, with Poland becoming the main market.
The agency noted that domestic processing was supported by the 10% export duty on rapeseed and soybeans introduced by Ukraine in 2025. This allowed raw materials to remain in the country and boosted sales of value-added products.
UkrAgroConsult expects oilseed production in Ukraine to continue growing in the 2026/2027 season. In particular, the sunflower harvest could reach 13.7 million tons. Kharchenko emphasized that despite the risks of war, the oilseed sector is recovering the fastest, and the acreage planted with these crops has already exceeded pre-2022 levels.
The level of emotional stress among Ukrainian children continues to rise amid the war unleashed by Russia: in 2025, it reached 37%, with the 10-13 age group being the most vulnerable, among whom 40% of children have shown increased emotional distress, reported Viktor Mykyta, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.
“The war unleashed by Russia is worsening the mental state of Ukrainian children every year… Experts have found that children who have active interests outside of gadgets—such as team sports, particularly soccer, active group activities, intellectual games, and so on—demonstrate the highest stress resilience,” Mykyta stated in a Telegram post.
According to the information, last year the level of stress among children rose by 10%, while in 2025 this figure has already reached 37%. The highest rates were recorded among children aged 10–13—40% of them are experiencing increased emotional tension.
Ferrexpo, a mining company with assets in Ukraine, reported a net loss of $211 million, which is 4.2 times higher than the 2024 figure ($50.03 million).
According to the report on consolidated unaudited results for 2025, the operating loss for the past year amounted to $197 million, compared to an operating profit of $18 million in 2024.
Revenue for 2025 was $787 million, compared to $933.263 million in 2024 (a 16% decline). Meanwhile, EBITDA was $28 million compared to the adjusted figure of $69.310 million for 2024 (a 60% decrease).
Ferrexpo’s capital expenditures in 2025 amounted to $49 million, compared to $101.688 million in 2024.
Cash balances as of the end of 2025 were $47 million, compared to $100.835 million as of the end of 2024.
The announcement states that these financial results are unaudited and remain subject to the completion of the Group’s audit procedures, as well as approval by the Company’s Audit Committee and Board of Directors. As of the date of this announcement, these unaudited, consolidated financial results were prepared on a going concern basis; however, this basis of preparation is contingent upon the successful completion of the planned fundraising.
As reported, Ferrexpo ended the first half of 2025 with a net loss of $196.004 million, whereas in the same period of 2024 it recorded a net profit of $55.490 million. The pre-tax loss for this period amounted to $186.899 million, whereas in January–June 2024 there was a pre-tax profit of $75.671 million. Revenue in the first half of 2025 decreased by 17.5% to $452.607 million. Meanwhile, EBITDA amounted to $3.890 million compared to $79.043 million at the end of June 2024 and $69.310 million at the end of 2024.
Cash and cash equivalents as of the end of June 2025 amounted to $52.262 million, as of the end of June 2024 – $115.131 million, and as of the end of 2024 – $105.919 million.
In 2024, Ferrexpo reported a net loss of $50.03 million, which is 41% less than the 2023 figure ($84.753 million). Revenue for 2024 was $933.263 million, compared to $651.795 million in 2023 (a 43.2% increase). Meanwhile, EBITDA was $69.310 million, compared to the adjusted figure of $98.871 million for 2023. Cash balances as of the end of 2024 were $100.835 million, as of the end of 2023 – $108.293 million, in 2022 – $106.397 million, and as of the end of 2021 – $117 million.
Ferrexpo ended 2023 with a net loss of $84.753 million, compared to a net profit of $219.997 million in 2022, which is four times lower than the profit for the pre-war year of 2021 ($870.993 million). Revenue for 2023 amounted to $651.795 million, while in 2022 it was $1.24849 billion (a decrease of 47.8%). At the same time, EBITDA fell by 83% to $130.242 million compared to $765.113 million in 2022.
Ferrexpo is an iron ore company with assets in Ukraine. Ferrexpo owns 100% of the shares in Poltava Mining, a 100% stake in Yeristiv Mining, and a 99.9% stake in Bilaniv Mining.
Between April 13 and 19, Ukraine reduced electricity imports by 21%—to 114,900 MWh, according to the DIXI Group analytical center, citing data from Energy Map.
“At the same time, exports increased more than fourfold—from 2,200 MWh to 10,300 MWh—but these volumes remain insignificant and occur only during specific hours of temporary surplus, without affecting the supply of domestic demand,” the center noted.
Throughout the week, Russia continued its attacks on energy infrastructure. In particular, on April 16, another massive shelling of the power grid took place, with energy facilities in Kyiv and the southern regions as the main targets.
At the same time, weather conditions partially stabilized the situation in the power grid. A gradual rise in temperature and sunny weather contributed to a decrease in electricity consumption and an increase in solar power generation, which allowed for partial compensation of the losses caused by Russia and helped avoid large-scale blackouts.
According to DIXI Group data, electricity imports from April 13 to 19 decreased by 15–27% across all sources. At the same time, supplies from Slovakia remained absent for the second week in a row.
Hungary accounted for the largest share of imports—61.8 thousand MWh, or 53.8%. Romania accounted for 27.8 thousand MWh (24.2%), Poland for 24.7 thousand MWh (21.5%), and Moldova for 0.6 thousand MWh (0.5%).
At the same time, electricity exports remained limited and were carried out exclusively during specific hours of surplus—primarily during nighttime and daytime periods with lower load.
