The Veteran Hub in Kyiv hosted a pre-screening of the Israeli series Hatufim (Prisoners of War) as part of a cultural project initiated by the Embassy of the State of Israel in Ukraine, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reports.
“For Israeli artists, war is not an abstract topic, but a personal experience. Even during the war, we did not stop cultural exchange for a single moment: the embassy continues to organize events to showcase Israeli culture in its various aspects. Today we are talking about Israeli TV series – they are known all over the world; many people know both Hatufim and Fauda. We will continue to talk about Israeli culture and will continue to work with Ukraine in this direction,” said Michael Brodsky, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Israel to Ukraine, emphasizing that these topics are particularly relevant to Ukrainian society today.
As the organizers explained, the event was held to start a conversation about how people return from captivity, how they adapt to peaceful life and what difficulties their families face. The discussion participants emphasized that this topic is important for Ukraine today not only as a cultural topic, but also as a social one.
“Khatufim is a drama series about soldiers who return home after a long captivity and how they change, their families and their relationships with society. The project gained wide international attention and became the basis for further adaptations in other markets: The New York Times named Hatufim the best foreign television series of the decade.
According to Brodsky, the Embassy considers cultural events to be a part of the dialogue between Ukraine and Israel and will continue to pursue initiatives that introduce the Ukrainian audience to Israeli culture in its various manifestations.
https://interfax.com.ua/news/culture/1145052.html
Last week, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) reduced sales of dollars on the interbank market by $68.8 million, or 8.7%, to $725.5 million, according to statistics on the regulator’s website.
According to the NBU, in the first four days of last week, the average daily negative balance of buying and selling foreign currency by legal entities decreased to $95.8 million from $110.0 million in the same period a week ago, and totaled $383.1 million for the period.
The negative balance in the household foreign exchange market also decreased to $28.7 million from $36.9 million the week before, and cash purchases exceeded cash sales on all days.
The official hryvnia/dollar exchange rate, which started last week at 43.0487 UAH/$1, weakened to 43.0904 UAH/$1 over two days and ended the week at 42.9930 UAH/$1.
On the cash market, the dollar did not change significantly over the past week: as of February 12, the buying rate was about 42.79 UAH/$1, and the selling rate was about 43.19 UAH/$1.
Analysts of KYT Group (Liberty Finance LLC), a major participant in the cash foreign exchange market, noted that in the first half of February there were no significant stresses on the foreign exchange market, while the hryvnia slightly devalued against the dollar: the official exchange rate since the beginning of the month has changed from 42.84 UAH/$1 to 43.03 UAH/$1 at the end of the second week of February. In their opinion, the moderate dynamics was facilitated by the NBU’s interventions: since the beginning of January, the regulator has sold more than $4.33 billion on the market.
According to experts, the dollar is supported on the international market by the Fed’s keeping the base rate unchanged and relatively strong US labor market data, while the EUR/USD pair saw a slight strengthening of the dollar to 1.1874 in the first half of February.
In the domestic market, the spread at bank cash desks and exchange offices amounted to UAH 0.5-0.6/$1 in the first half of February.
According to the forecast of KYT Group, in the next one to two weeks the basic range of the hryvnia exchange rate will be 43.3-43.8 UAH/$1 with possible fluctuations towards weakening, while in the medium term of two to three months the exchange rate is expected to be in the range of 43.50-44.60 UAH/$1. According to them, the exchange rate in the coming months will be influenced by the demand for currency on the interbank market, the situation in the energy sector and at the front, as well as news about international support.
“Longer term (6+ months): the hryvnia is expected to devalue smoothly against the dollar, as well as regular and large-scale market support by the NBU’s foreign exchange interventions. The benchmark for the first half of 2026 is UAH 43.5-44.95/$,” KYT Group said.
Ukrainian cheese makers continue to lose market share due to competition from imported products from the EU, despite the trend towards a reduction in external purchases, according to the industry analytical agency Infagro.
According to the report, producers are asking the state for support, in particular through the expansion of cashback programs for domestic cheeses and a review of the tax burden. However, experts assess the chances of significant changes in tax policy or the introduction of import barriers as low.
Analysts consider a more effective step to be the regulation of relations with retail chains to reduce significant retail markups that affect the final cost of products.
According to the agency, cheese imports are currently showing a downward trend in both monthly and annual terms, which is associated with rising prices in Europe and currency fluctuations. It is expected that the volume of foreign purchases will continue to decline.
“Despite the difficult market conditions, Ukrainian producers are in no hurry to lower their base prices. They are probably afraid that retail chains will not respond adequately to lower prices or that it will be difficult to return to previous price levels in the future. At the same time, buyers can already count on significant discounts when purchasing large quantities of products,” Infagro concluded.
Astarta, Ukraine’s largest sugar producer, has purchased 10 light tractors worth approximately UAH 16 million for livestock farming, the company’s press service reported on Monday.
According to the report, the equipment will be used primarily in feeding, cleaning, and logistics processes at production sites to improve the regularity of processes and reduce the cost of milk production.
“We expect that the upgrade of equipment will improve operational discipline and ensure more predictable and stable production results,” said Yaroslav Kushnir, director of Astarta’s livestock department.
The agricultural holding company noted that, in total, Astarta allocated approximately $22 million in 2025 to upgrade its technical fleet in key production areas as part of a comprehensive program of modernization and transition to energy-efficient solutions.
Astarta is a vertically integrated agro-industrial holding operating in eight regions of Ukraine. It includes six sugar factories, agricultural enterprises with a land bank of 220,000 hectares and dairy farms with 22,000 head of cattle, an oil extraction plant in Hlobine (Poltava region), seven elevators, and a biogas complex.
According to the results of 2025, Astarta reduced its total revenue from sales of key product categories by 15.6% compared to 2024, to UAH 21.05 billion, while physical sales volumes of its main products fell by 23.5%, to 1.21 million tons.
Almost every second Ukrainian teenager does not have a basic level of mathematics, which is already affecting students’ future educational and career trajectories, as well as the country’s economy, a press release reports based on the results of a study of learning losses in mathematics prepared by EdEra with the support of the Tokarev Foundation.
According to data from the international PISA-2022 study, 42% of Ukrainian teenagers did not reach the basic level in mathematics, while only 3% showed the highest results. The authors also analyzed NMT mathematics results for 2022–2024 and note that in NMT-2025 in mathematics, 12% of participants did not pass the threshold, and the average result was 132.5 points out of 200. By comparison, in the Ukrainian language and history, the share of those who did not pass the threshold was about 1%.
The study identifies the 6th grade as a critical point when some students’ motivation drops and key topics are not mastered—fractions, percentages, and negative numbers—which later complicates the study of algebra, geometry, and STEM disciplines. A staffing factor is also mentioned separately—the shortage of mathematics, physics, and chemistry teachers, as well as teachers’ need for clearer tools to explain the practical value of the material.
EdEra emphasizes that mathematics is linked not only to test results but also to skills of critical thinking and risk assessment, while the Tokarev Foundation connects mathematical literacy with economic growth and national security amid technological competition.
Following the study, the teams state that they are developing practical educational solutions that should help students close gaps and reduce “mathematics anxiety.”
Chicken producer Kuriar attracted UAH 1 billion in loan financing from First Ukrainian International Bank (FUIB, Kyiv) to transform its business from a chicken producer to a system integrator in the industry, according to the Ukrainian Retailers Association.
According to the report, the funds raised will be used to modernize logistics, automate processes, develop deep processing of products, and introduce new quality standards for entry into national retail chains and EU markets.
“We are investing in standards that will allow us to become certified and enter the European market. This is a logical step for a company that plans to be a leader,” said company founder Andriy Kindifora.
According to the association, the company’s development strategy involves a transition to a growth model through cooperation with small and medium-sized producers. According to Kuriar CEO Ivan Semen, investments are directed not only at the company’s own brand, but also at creating a system that allows the industry to grow predictably, despite the difficult demographic situation and the shift of production capacities to the western regions of the country due to the war.
Cooperation with FUIB began with a factoring limit and grew into a strategic partnership. As noted by Igor Koptsyukh, the bank’s head of sales to medium-sized corporate clients, for the financial institution, this agreement is an investment in a business model with high scaling potential.
“For us, FUIB is not just a lender, but a partner that supports the company in the entire spectrum of financial decisions,” Kuriar emphasized.
K-Agroinvest Trade LLC (Kuriya brand) was founded in 2014 in the Zolochiv district of the Lviv region on the basis of facilities that have been developing since 2005. The vertically integrated full-cycle chicken producer has four poultry farms, a feed mill, a slaughterhouse, and a logistics center. It specializes in importing chickens and selling over 100 types of meat products. The beneficiary of the enterprise is Andriy Kindifora.
According to the National Bank of Ukraine, as of September 1, 2025, FUIB, with assets of UAH 193.14 billion, ranked 5th among 60 banks in the country. The ultimate beneficiary of the bank is Rinat Akhmetov.
