The Ukrainian national tennis team has entered the top 3 of the Billie Jean King Cup world rankings for the first time in history, according to a press release from the National Olympic Committee (NOC).
“A historic achievement: the Ukrainian national tennis team has entered the top 3 of the Billie Jean King Cup world rankings for the first time in history—the largest international team competition in women’s tennis,” the NOC stated in a Telegram post on Saturday.
It is noted that this was made possible by a decisive victory over the Polish team (4-0) in the qualifiers. The team’s victories were secured by Marta Kostyuk, Elina Svitolina, Oleksandra Oliinykova, and the Kichenok sisters—Lyudmila and Nadiya.
Currently, only the teams from Italy and Great Britain rank higher than Ukraine. Ahead of the Ukrainian team, captained by Ilya Marchenko, lies the final stage of the tournament, which will take place in September in Shenzhen, China.
The NOC noted that last year, Ukrainian tennis players entered the top 5 of the world rankings for the first time following their historic run to the tournament semifinals.
Turkey’s decision to open an import quota for 3 million tons of corn with a reduced tariff rate of 5% has significantly altered market conditions, according to the information and analytical agency “UkrAgroConsult.”
“This move is expected to stabilize domestic prices in Turkey and meet high demand. The country’s domestic balance dictates the need for active imports: domestic production amounts to about 8 million tons, while consumption exceeds 10 million tons,” analysts noted.
According to the agency, Ankara’s customs policy remains strict: a 130% tariff applies outside the quota. However, the market is adapting thanks to temporary preferential regimes. Under these conditions, Ukraine is strengthening its presence and already accounts for 85–87% of Turkish imports due to significant supply and favorable logistics.
“Currently, the key competitive factor is the speed of shipments and traders’ willingness to assemble flexible shipments. Market dynamics are driven by raw material shortages within the importing country and the efficiency of logistics chains,” emphasized UkrAgroConsult.
Among the main trends, experts highlighted the transformation of demand due to quotas and the dominance of regional suppliers amid shortages. The agency forecasts that Ukraine will maintain its status as Turkey’s key partner precisely due to the speed of deliveries, despite protective tariffs on non-quota volumes.
Roman Degtyarev, an 18-year-old Ukrainian chess player from Kharkiv, won the 2026 European Individual Chess Championship after defeating Grandmaster David Anton Gicharro in the final round, according to the European Chess Union (ECU).
“Congratulations to 18-year-old Roman Degtyarev on his victory at the 2026 European Individual Chess Championship!” reads a post on social media.
It is noted that the Ukrainian teenager became the sole winner of the competition, defeating Grandmaster David Anton Gicharro in the final round.
“Ranked 126th on the starting list, Degtyarov caused an absolute sensation at the championship, finishing the tournament with a final score of 9/11 points, suffering only one loss throughout the entire tournament and achieving an incredible rating of 2781!” the post states.
As Ukrainian International Grandmaster Pavlo Eljanov recounted, at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, he helped Ukrainian families relocate to Europe, but Degtyarev, who was 14 at the time, backed out at the last minute.
“Everything was arranged for the family from Kharkiv—until their 14-year-old son, a talented chess player, refused to go at the last moment. He didn’t want to leave his father. He stayed in one of the most dangerous places in Ukraine. With very limited opportunities to travel and almost no training, he still became the champion of Ukraine,“ Eljanov writes.
According to him, with his victory, Degtyarev ”caused the biggest sensation in the history of the European Championship.”
“Remember this name: Roman Degtyarev! It’s no wonder our city of Kharkiv is called ‘reinforced concrete’!” Eljanov concluded.
The development company ARHA Group has received a certificate of commissioning for the AMA Family Resort, a resort complex with a total area of 10,000 square meters in the village of Polianytsia (Ivano-Frankivsk region), according to a press release from the hotel operator Ribas Hotels Group.
As the operator told the agency “Interfax-Ukraine,” AMA Family Resort will become the sixth Carpathian property managed by Ribas Hotels Group.
“Preparations are currently underway to formalize property rights for investors, after which the company will begin work on preparing the property for opening,” the operator noted.
Preparations for operations include building a team, setting up sales and booking systems, launching marketing channels, implementing operational standards, and verifying the property’s technical readiness and service processes.
According to Ribas Hotels Group, the complex’s housing stock consists of two-story cottages and apartments of various sizes: one-bedroom units ranging from 25 to 44 square meters, two-bedroom units of 83 square meters, and three-bedroom units exceeding 100 square meters.
The infrastructure of AMA Family Resort includes a restaurant and lounge areas, a spa, terraces and viewing platforms, a children’s area with a movie theater, cycling infrastructure, parking, and a seasonal ski bus.
Ribas Hotels Group is an international full-cycle management company and hotel business ecosystem that encompasses the entire process from site selection, design, and construction to management, franchising, and investment. The company’s portfolio includes 56 projects in the launch, design, or management phases, including seven in Bali, as well as in Poland and Turkey.
The company develops 3-, 4-, and 5-star city and resort hotels under the brands Ribas Hotels, Ribas Rooms, WOL home + hotel, and Mandra Moments. The operator’s total room inventory exceeds 1,000 rooms, with 300,000 guests in its database and over 1,300 investors in its projects.
Ukrhydrometcenter has issued a warning about ground frosts on April 20–22 in several regions of Ukraine, as well as frosts.
On April 20 in the northern, eastern, and most central regions; on April 21 in most western, central, and Kharkiv regions; and on April 22 across Ukraine, except for the southeast, ground frosts of 0–3°C (Level I hazard, yellow) are expected.
“On April 20 in the northeast of the country, on April 21-22 in the northern regions, and on April 22 in the western and most central regions, air temperatures will drop to 0-3° (Level II danger, orange),” the report states.
The frosts will damage early-blooming fruit trees, the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center added.
The National Operetta of Ukraine will resume performances of its repertoire on the main stage in the second half of April, according to the theater’s press service.
“The emotions of love can fill life with vibrant colors even in the hardest times. After all, love is the greatest driving force: it changes the world, inspires, and opens up new possibilities,” noted Chief Choreographer and Director Vadym Prokopenko in a comment to the agency.
On April 24, the main stage will host a performance of the ballet “Carmen Suite” to the music of Georges Bizet. The production remains relevant thanks to its universal themes of love, freedom, and choice, while the character of Carmen is interpreted as a symbol of female strength and independence.
On April 26, audiences will be treated to the performance “Marusya Churai,” based on the historical novel in verse by Lina Kostenko. It is an emotional story of love, loss, and inner struggle, which simultaneously serves as an allegory for the fate of the Ukrainian people and remains relevant in the modern context.
The program will conclude on April 29 with the musical “The Sound of Music” by composers Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, based on the memoirs of Maria von Trapp. The production tells the story of a family forced to leave their homeland to escape Nazi persecution.
“The theme of choice and betrayal is once again particularly relevant. Ukraine needs the ‘The Sound of Music’ project today, as it demonstrates the power of principles—the ability not to betray, not to become a collaborator, and not to give up,” noted stage director and People’s Artist of Ukraine Bohdan Strutynsky.
