Express Insurance paid out UAH 50.3 million in insurance claims in February 2026, which is 53.6% more than in the same period in 2025, according to the company’s website.
Under CASCO agreements, customers were compensated UAH 39.3 million, which is 50.9% more than in the same period last year. The amount of payments under MTPL insurance amounted to UAH 10.3 million (+66.8% compared to February 2025). Under other types of insurance, customers were compensated UAH 657.4 thousand, which is 34% more than last year.
Express Insurance LLC was founded in 2008 with the participation of the leader of the Ukrainian automotive market, Ukravto Group. The company specializes in auto insurance. It is represented in more than 60 points of sale throughout Ukraine and is actively expanding its network of partner service stations.
The spring season of book festivals, fairs, and literary events is beginning in Ukraine. These events will take place in March and May in Kyiv, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Dnipro, Ternopil, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, and other cities, according to the Ukrainian Book Institute on its Facebook page.
“The spring season of book festivals has already begun. We are sharing the dates of events from all over Ukraine so that you can plan your trips and meetings with books and authors,” the organizers said.
According to the published calendar, the National Poetry Reading Week will be held online in March (March 16-22), in Dnipro on March 21, the event “In the Rhythm of Dnipro” will take place, in Ternopil on March 21-22, a festival will be held at the Podolyany shopping center, and in Ivano-Frankivsk from March 31 to April 4, PEN Ukraine will hold a festival-workshop “Propisy.”
In April, the Book Country festival is planned in Kyiv (April 23-26), and Shoduarivska Altanka in Zhytomyr (April 25-26). The event Book Spring in Khmelnytskyi has also been announced.
In May, the festival “Slovo” (May 7-10) will be held in Ivano-Frankivsk, the Children’s Forum: Children’s Reading Festival (May 11-17) in Lviv, Biography Week (May 11-17) in Kyiv, in Poltava – the book exhibition and fair “POSHUK” (May 22-23), in Volodymyr – the festival ‘Krymiada’ (May 23-25), and in Kyiv – “Book Arsenal” (May 28-31).
In addition, the spring calendar also includes VinBookFest in Vinnytsia and the All-Ukrainian Forum of Military Writers in Lviv.
As reported, Ukrainian writer Myroslav Laiuk’s book “Bakhmut” was shortlisted for the Ryszard Kapuściński International Award.
The anniversary exhibition “I Shook This World,” dedicated to the 90th birthday of the outstanding Ukrainian artist Ivan Marchuk, will open on March 13 at the Museum of the History of the City of Kyiv, according to the museum’s press service.
“I Shook This World” is both the artist’s confession and a testament to the scale of his work, as Marchuk’s works are presented on all continents, even in Antarctica,” the organizers said.
The exhibition will be spread across all exhibition floors of the museum and will feature nearly 250 works by the artist. Each floor will have its own name and concept, allowing visitors to trace the artist’s creative path — from his early explorations to his iconic cycles and philosophical generalizations.
A special place in the exhibition will be given to works from Ivan Marchuk’s personal collection, including early paintings, portraits, student works, sketches, and ceramic panels, most of which have not been publicly exhibited before.
The exhibition will also reveal the artist’s work through the prism of historical eras – from the Soviet period, when his bright personality was perceived as a challenge to the system, to the time of Ukraine’s independence and the present day.
It is noted that works for the exhibition were provided by 11 museums in Ukraine and more than 30 private collectors, which made it possible to form a large-scale retrospective exhibition of the artist’s works from different periods.
The general partners of the exhibition are Oschadbank and Visa, and the partners are SvitOutdoor, InBlummen, and Big Wine. The project was implemented with the support of art historian Tamara Strypko and scientific consultant Yuriy Kukharchuk.
The exhibition can be visited at the Museum and Exhibition Center of the Museum of the History of Kyiv (7 Bohdan Khmelnytsky Street) from Wednesday to Sunday from 12:00 to 19:00. The ticket office is open until 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost 320 UAH, with concessions available for 160 UAH.
As reported, the Kyiv police are investigating possible fraud involving paintings by Ivan Marchuk.
McDonald’s Ukraine Ltd., which operates the McDonald’s fast food restaurant chain in Ukraine, has invested UAH 4.84 billion in expansion and modernization in 2022-2025, the company’s press service told Interfax-Ukraine.
In 2025, the company opened 12 new restaurants and renovated five existing ones. The chain appeared for the first time in the Zakarpattia region – in Uzhhorod and Mukachevo, as well as in Hatne, Kyiv region, and in Lypyny, near Lutsk. In addition, the first McDonald’s restaurant with a sustainable design concept began operating in Lviv. In total, the company has opened 33 new restaurants since 2022, expanding the chain by more than 25% during this period.
At the same time, McDonald’s continued to work on the sustainability of the chain: the share of restaurants equipped with generators increased to over 95%, which supports the operation of establishments during power outages.
The number of customers in 2025 increased by 17%. The chain’s customer satisfaction level in 2025 rose to 98.3% compared to 96.7% in 2024. Throughout the year, the company expanded its offerings and adapted its menu to current consumer demands, in particular, bringing back breakfast items and launching new value-added offers.
The company continues to implement measures aimed at the rational use of resources and improving waste management efficiency. In 2025, the chain sent more than 2,700 tons of waste for recycling and continued to gradually reduce its use of plastic.
A separate area of development was the digitalization of services. During the year, the company improved its mobile app, expanded its personalized voucher program, and continued to introduce self-service terminals in all establishments. Currently, 85% of orders in restaurants are placed through self-service terminals, the number of registered users of the mobile app has increased by 44.5%, and the new “Mobile Order” feature has generated over 100,000 orders in its first two months of operation.
Along with the development of its business, the company continued to support social initiatives in cooperation with the Ronald McDonald House Charities in Ukraine. In 2025, McDonald’s customers participated in charity campaigns in the chain’s restaurants more than 1 million times, raising nearly UAH 28 million to support the work of family rooms and the construction of Ukraine’s first Ronald McDonald House on the grounds of the Okhmatdyt National Children’s Specialized Hospital in Kyiv.
In 2026, McDonald’s plans to continue expanding its network and strengthening its presence in the regions of Ukraine. Earlier this year, the company opened two new restaurants in Irpin and Kyiv.
The first McDonald’s restaurant in Ukraine opened on May 24, 1997, in Kyiv. McDonald’s currently employs nearly 11,000 Ukrainians and has 138 restaurants, of which 123 are currently operating in 42 locations.
According to the analytical system OpenDataBot, McDonald’s in Ukraine received UAH 21.3 billion in revenue in 2025, which is 26.6% more than in the same period last year. Net profit increased by 21.3% to UAH 1.567 billion. In 2025, the company paid UAH 3.5 billion in taxes to the budget.
The owner of McDonald’s Ukraine Ltd. is listed as MCD Europe Limited (100%, London, United Kingdom).
When the clock on the screen counts down the minutes, many candidates suddenly feel that their thinking “disappears,” their hands tremble, and their answers cease to be logical. This is not surprising — it is biology and neuropsychology in action. In this article, we will analyze what exactly happens to the brain under time pressure, how it affects Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing on the TOEFL, and provide practical exercises to help you learn how to turn nervousness into working energy. TOEFL preparation will be logically integrated into sections with practical tips — after all, training under pressure is at the heart of effective preparation.
● Cognitive resources are limited. When you think about the content of the task and worry about time at the same time, you are “sharing” the same working memory.
● Perfectionism during the test slows you down: striving to make every answer perfect takes time.
● Incorrect timing strategies: for example, spending too much time on a difficult task and not having enough time for others.
Reading: Due to narrowing your focus, you may miss the main idea of a paragraph or misinterpret details.
Listening: It is easy to miss cause-and-effect relationships in a lecture.
Speaking: Panic causes pauses, stuttering, repetitions, and abandonment of the answer plan.
Writing: The ability to structure an essay and maintain logical sequence is reduced.
Below is a practical training plan that you can include in your TOEFL preparation schedule. Key idea: gradually increasing the load on executive functions in controlled conditions — “progressive loading” for the brain. ● Box breathing exercise (4 seconds inhale — 4 seconds hold — 4 seconds exhale — 4 seconds pause) — 5 cycles.
● Before training and before the official test: 60 seconds of slow breathing to lower your heart rate.
Why: stabilizes the autonomic nervous system and signals to the brain that there is no threat.
● Reading micro-drill: 20-minute block — 3 short texts of 300 words each with 5 questions. Under stimulating conditions, work on timing: 6 minutes per text + answers.
● Listening micro-drill: 15 minutes — 2 short lectures/conversations, listen to the recording 1.5–2x faster, take notes, answer 5 questions.
Why: to adapt your attention to an intense rhythm.
● Pomodoro structure: 25 min of intensive work (reading or writing) + 5 min of active rest (movement, breathing).
● Every 2 hours — 10 min of active change of activity (for example, speaking instead of reading).
Why: trains the ability to quickly switch and refocus.
● Simple exercise: read 3 sentences, close your eyes, and repeat the main ideas aloud. Then gradually increase the number of sentences.
● Executive function training: plan a short answer to a Speaking task (2 minutes of planning, 1 minute of signaling) and practice without preparation.
Why: working memory is a “bridge” between attention and logic — training it reduces the likelihood of timing errors.
● One day a week, do a full TOEFL replica in simulated conditions (without internet helpers, with appropriate timing). After the test, be sure to analyze: what went wrong emotionally? Where did you get stuck?
● After each simulation, work on a “recovery plan”: 3 specific steps for the following week.
Why: interval endurance of the nervous system and strategic analysis of mistakes.
Reading:
● Find the topic by reading the first sentences of each paragraph; then go back to the details for difficult questions.
● Identify “difficulty indicators”: if a question requires proof, give it an extra 1-2 minutes; but if there are several, put them aside and come back later.
Listening:
● During the first listening, take maximum notes on the main points: who, what, why, consequence.
● Don’t try to write everything down: structure your notes in 3 columns: fact / argument / example.
Speaking:
● Template 1-2-3: thesis (15–20 sec) — example/explanation (30–40 sec) — conclusion (10–15 sec).
● If you get stuck, say “Let me rephrase” or “In other words” and continue; this sounds more natural than long pauses.
Writing:
● Planning 3–5 minutes is a worthwhile investment of time. Without a clear plan, you will spend 10 minutes correcting the structure.
● Write bullet points: each paragraph — one idea, the first sentence — the thesis.
● Sleep: 7–8 hours of stable sleep before the test and a regular sleep rhythm during preparation reduce the baseline level of cortisol.
● Nutrition: a balanced breakfast with protein and slow-release carbohydrates provides stable energy for the brain.
● Exercise: 20–30 minutes of cardio 3–4 times a week helps regulate your response to stress.
● Reading speed with comprehension: goal — +5% per week or consistently read 3 texts of 300–400 words in 18 minutes.
● Speaking: record 3 answers per week, analyze the number of pauses and lexical repetitions — goal is to reduce pauses by 30% per month.
● Writing: 1 essay per week on time, the percentage of structural errors should decrease.
Talent is a nice bonus, but panic can be trained and “rewritten.” We offer a concise 8-week core TOEFL preparation plan focused on stress resistance:
Weeks 1–2: basic breathing techniques, micro-drives, short simulations.
Weeks 3–4: interval attention training, working on working memory, first full sections in timing.
Weeks 5–6: Full simulations with recovery strategies, work on Speaking under recording.
Weeks 7–8: Consolidation, final simulations, test day practice (sleep, food, logistics).
● Keep a “what helped” journal: after each training session, write down 1-2 techniques that reduced your anxiety.
● Small victories: celebrate even small improvements, this reduces the cycle of self-blame.
● Train yourself to perceive failure as information: mistakes are not a disaster, but data for correction.
Panic under time pressure is not a death sentence. It is a normal reaction of the body to limited time, and it can be systematically trained to work for you, not against you. Preparing for the TOEFL is not just about learning vocabulary and grammar; it’s about training your brain under pressure, developing timing strategies, and regularly simulating difficult conditions. Step by step, you can turn your anxiety into energy that will push you to achieve better results.
Our courses offer just that approach: individual lessons with timing training, regular simulations in real test mode, feedback not only on mistakes in your answers, but also on your reaction to stress, breathing techniques, and “micro-restart” strategies. Paying for individual lessons allows you to try out the format, while package deals ensure a gradual increase in endurance and confidence. If you are ready to work not only on your language skills but also on your confidence under time pressure, we will help you take your results to the next level.
Prepared by TOEFL.KH.UA
Mineral water and beverage producer Orlan (Kyiv) reported a net profit of UAH 8.0443 million for 2025, according to information disclosed by the company to the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC).
According to the draft resolution of the general meeting of shareholders scheduled for April 13, 2026, it is proposed to allocate the entire profit to cover losses from previous years. No dividends are planned to be accrued and paid for 2025.
The agenda of the meeting, which will be held remotely, also includes the approval of the supervisory board’s report and the auditor’s conclusions for 2025. In addition, the shareholders intend to appoint LLC “AF ”Respect” as the auditor to audit the financial statements for the current year, terminate the powers of the current supervisory board, and elect its new members.
According to Opendatabot, in 2025, the company received UAH 128.977 million in net income, which is 11.8% less than in 2024, while net profit amounted to UAH 8.44 million compared to UAH 10.66 million in net losses in 2024. The company’s assets grew by 10.7% to UAH 139.56 million compared to UAH 125.59 million, and total accounts receivable to UAH 32.66 million compared to UAH 28.49 million a year earlier. Orlan PJSC’s current liabilities at the end of the year amounted to UAH 72.49 million, which is 10.4% more than in 2024 (UAH 65.66 million). The average number of employees is 144. The authorized capital is UAH 10 million 793.3 thousand.
Orlan PJSC was founded in 1994. It specializes in bottling mineral water and soft drinks. The production complex is equipped with two lines (KHS, Krones, Siedel) with a total capacity of 53 thousand bottles per hour. The company also provides co-packing services (bottling under its customers’ own trademarks) and is certified according to the ISO 22000:2018/HACPP standard.
The major shareholders are Mervinalo Holding Ltd. (24.85%), Sitefeli Investments Ltd. (24.15%), Sopresso Holding Ltd. (17.49%), Volenio Holding Ltd. (15.47%), and Advores Holding Ltd. (12%).
