Mining company Ferrexpo, with its main assets in Ukraine, had a net cash position of $17 million as of April 17; its directors emphasize the need for an urgent increase in share capital by at least $100 million, without which shareholders could lose the entire value of their investments.
“The Board of Directors believes that increasing the share capital is currently the only viable solution within the required timeframe,” Ferrexpo stated in a stock exchange announcement on Wednesday.
According to the statement, such a share capital increase is likely to be structured as a conditional placement of new shares among existing and new institutional investors with the aim of raising at least $100 million to support the group’s working capital and meet its short-term operational needs, allowing it to operate at a reduced level over the next 18 months.
“It is currently expected that this capital raising will be initiated and completed (subject to, among other things, the approval of resolutions at the general meeting and the admission to listing and trading of the new ordinary shares to be issued as part of this capital raising) no later than April 30, 2026, so that the company can publish its audited financial results for the year ending December 31, 2025,” the statement notes.
The company does not intend to publish a prospectus in connection with the planned capital raising.
Ferrexpo noted that discussions are ongoing with the company’s largest shareholder—Fevamotinico Sarl, owned by Konstantin Zhevago, which currently holds 294,993,686 shares, representing 49.32%—regarding whether Fevamotinico will support the resolution at the general meeting.
The Board of Directors also warned that if the planned fundraising is not initiated and the share book is not finalized by April 30, the listing and trading of its shares will be suspended from 7:30 a.m. on May 1, 2026, until the completion of the audit and publication of the annual report and financial statements for 2025, which in itself will require the implementation of the relevant financing decision so that financial results can be prepared on a going-concern basis.
“Under this scenario, there can be no certainty regarding the expected timing of the lifting of the suspension of listing and the resumption of trading in the company’s shares, if it occurs at all,” the statement notes.
Ferrexpo shares fell 11.91% to 38.02 pence at the start of trading on Wednesday, corresponding to a market capitalization of GBP258.2 million.
According to a survey conducted in March 2026 by the research firm Active Group in collaboration with the Experts Club information and analytical center, Ukrainians’ attitudes toward Georgia are predominantly positive, with only minor changes compared to the previous period. The overall share of positive assessments stands at 57.3%, which is slightly higher than in August 2025 (56.3%). At the same time, the level of negative perception has decreased from 10.7% to 9.8%, indicating a gradual softening of critical assessments.
The structure of positive attitudes is fairly balanced: 19.3% of respondents chose “completely positive,” while another 38.0% selected “mostly positive.” This indicates the presence of both emotionally strong and rationally restrained positive perceptions of the country. At the same time, the share of neutral assessments remains significant—31.7%—which indicates a moderate level of engagement or awareness among Ukrainians regarding Georgia.
Negative assessments are relatively limited. The share of those with a “mostly negative” attitude stands at 8.2%, while “completely negative” accounts for only 1.6%. This results in an overall low level of critical perception of the country against the backdrop of a predominantly positive or neutral image.
The dynamics of change between August 2025 and March 2026 are insignificant, indicating the stability of perceptions of Georgia within Ukrainian society. A slight increase in positive assessments and a simultaneous decrease in negative ones may indicate a gradual strengthening of the country’s positive image; however, these changes are not dramatic.
The high proportion of neutral responses, combined with a moderately high level of positive sentiment, suggests that Ukrainians perceive Georgia as a friendly country that does not dominate the public or media sphere. This distinguishes it from states with a more pronounced emotional or political influence, where the share of positive or negative assessments is more concentrated.
Thus, Georgia maintains a stable positive image in Ukraine, based on a combination of a friendly attitude and moderate distance. Further changes in perception will likely depend on the intensity of bilateral contacts, media presence, and the political context of interaction between the countries.
According to a study conducted by the Experts Club information and analytical center based on data from the State Customs Service, Georgia ranks 45th in total trade volume with Ukraine as of December 31, 2025, with a figure of $386.7 million. At the same time, Ukraine has a trade surplus with Georgia of $194.1 million, as exports of Ukrainian goods significantly exceed imports.
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, GEORGIA, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, SURVEY, UKRAINE, URAKIN
Serhiy Rebrov is stepping down as head coach of the Ukrainian national soccer team, according to the Ukrainian Football Association.
“We thank Serhiy Stanislavovych for his work and his contribution to the development of young soccer players. Today, we need to move forward and make new decisions that will lay the foundation for the national team’s future,” said UAF President Andriy Shevchenko.
It is noted that Rebrov will remain part of the UAF team as vice president and a member of the Executive Committee.
“I am grateful to the entire team and the fans for the journey we have taken. It was a difficult path with victories and defeats, but Ukrainians have always supported the national team. These are moments of unity that I will never forget and for which I will always be grateful. I also thank the UAF for its constant assistance, support, and collaboration,” Rebrov stated.
Rebrov took over as head coach of the national team in 2023 during the European Championship qualifying cycle. The name of the new head coach of the Ukrainian national team will be announced later.
The Naftogaz Group paid 21.739 billion UAH in taxes to budgets at all levels in January–March 2026, the company reported on Wednesday.
Of this amount, 19.7 billion UAH went to the state budget, and over 2 billion UAH to local budgets.
“Despite widespread destruction and constant Russian attacks on oil, gas, and energy infrastructure, Naftogaz remains a reliable taxpayer to the state budget,” said Serhiy Koretskyi, Chairman of the Board of NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine.
The company added that the Naftogaz Group remains one of the largest taxpayers in Ukraine.
As reported, Naftogaz Group companies paid 44.4 billion hryvnias in taxes during the first six months of 2025, of which 40.7 billion hryvnias went to the state budget.
The population of the European Union will continue to age throughout this century, with the median age of EU residents increasing by 6.6 years to reach 51.5 years by 2100, according to Eurostat data.
According to the study, the EU population will grow from 451.8 million in 2025 to a peak of 453.3 million in 2029, after which it will begin to gradually decline—to 445 million by 2050 and to 398.8 million by 2100. Thus, over the period 2025–2100, the total population decline will amount to 53 million people, or 11.7%.
Eurostat notes that the main consequence of current birth and death rates in the EU is the progressive aging of the population. At the same time, the number of people aged 65 and older in the EU is expected to more than double by the end of the century.
At the same time, the share of young people and the working-age population will decline. The share of people aged 20–64 is projected to decline from 61% of the EU population in 2025 to 49.7% in 2100, and their number will decrease by 63.6 million—from 262 million to 198.4 million.
At the same time, the share of the population aged 65 and older will rise from 12.4% at the start of 2025 to 33.6% in 2100, and the size of this age group will increase by 65.9 million people—to 133.8 million. In essence, this is the only major demographic group that will grow significantly in both relative and absolute terms.
Eurostat emphasizes that the aging process will affect all EU countries, although its pace will vary. The most significant increase in the median age of the population is expected in Malta, Cyprus, Ireland, Luxembourg, Lithuania, and Poland.
According to a survey conducted in March 2026 by the research company Active Group in collaboration with the Experts Club information and analytical center, Ukrainians’ attitudes toward Iraq are characterized by a significant proportion of neutral and negative assessments, which collectively form a generally reserved and distant image of the country. According to the survey results, positive attitudes account for only 8.4%, while negative ones account for 35.2%, indicating a significant imbalance in perception. At the same time, more than half of the respondents (50.6%) hold a neutral position, indicating a limited level of formed perceptions about Iraq.
The structure of positive assessments is quite weak: only 2.1% of respondents expressed a “completely positive” attitude, and another 6.3% said it was “mostly positive.” This is one of the lowest figures among the countries included in the study. In contrast, negative perceptions are significantly more pronounced: 24.2% of respondents chose “mostly negative,” and 11.0% selected “completely negative.”
Despite this, a certain positive trend is observed compared to August 2025. The share of positive assessments rose from 5.7% to 8.4%, while negative ones decreased slightly—from 37.0% to 35.2%. This may indicate a gradual softening of perceptions, although the overall balance remains negative.
The high proportion of neutral responses, combined with a significant level of negativity, indicates the specific nature of perceptions of Iraq in Ukraine. On the one hand, a significant portion of the population lacks sufficient information or personal experience to form a clear position. On the other hand, existing perceptions are likely linked to the global information context, which tends to foster a cautious or critical attitude.
“If we see a high proportion of neutral assessments alongside significant negativity, it means the country is present in the information space, but this presence does not create a positive image. In such cases, it is important to work not only on economic cooperation but also on communication and reputation. Without this, neutrality can gradually transform into a persistent negative perception,” noted Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center.
Thus, Iraq remains a country with a limited level of trust and weak positive identification for Ukrainians. The future dynamics of perception will depend on whether this country can strengthen its presence in Ukraine’s positive informational and economic context.
According to a study conducted by the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center based on data from the State Customs Service, Iraq ranks 44th in terms of total trade in goods with Ukraine, amounting to $392.8 million. This is one of the most striking examples of a positive trade balance for Ukraine, as nearly the entire volume of bilateral trade consists of Ukrainian exports, and the positive balance amounts to $392.2 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, IRAQ, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, SURVEY, UKRAINE, URAKIN
