The Ukrainian men’s épée fencing team won silver medals at the 2026 World Championships, currently being held in Hong Kong.
The team consisted of Roman Svitkar, Nikita Koshman, Yevhen Makienko, and Mykhailo Krasniuk. This is Ukraine’s second medal at the current World Championships and the sixth time in history that Ukrainian épée fencers have stood on the podium at the World Championships in team competition.
On their way to the final, the Ukrainians defeated the teams from Sweden (45–35), Poland (41–40), Switzerland (39–37), and Israel (45–44). In the final match, the Ukrainian team lost to Kazakhstan with a score of 40–45.
For Roman Svichkar, this is the third World Championship medal of his career; for Nikita Koshman, it is his second; while Yevhen Makienko and Mykhailo Krasniuk earned their first World Championship medals.
The last time the Ukrainian men’s épée team won a World Championship medal was in 2019, when they also took silver.
TAS Dniprovagonmash LLC (DVM, Kamyanske, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast), controlled by the “TAS” financial and industrial group owned by businessman Serhiy Tihipko, ended the January–June 2026 period with a loss of 87.2 million UAH, which is 2.2 times higher than the corresponding figure for the first half of 2025.
According to the company’s published interim financial statements, its net revenue decreased by 44.3% to 312.7 million UAH.
The company reported a gross loss of 5.7 million UAH, whereas a year ago it had recorded a gross profit of 48.3 million UAH; the loss from operating activities doubled to 68.4 million UAH.
According to the financial statements, in the second quarter of this year, “TAS DVM” incurred a loss of 47.6 million UAH, which was more than double the loss recorded in April–June 2025, amid a 13% decline in net revenue to 240 million UAH.
As previously reported, in the first quarter of this year, the plant saw its net revenue drop by nearly four times compared to the same period in 2025—to 72.73 million UAH, while its loss increased 2.4-fold, to 39.67 million UAH.
According to the company, in the second quarter of this year, it produced 76 freight cars, compared to 202 units during the same period last year (38 units and 181 units in the first quarter, respectively), and the average selling price of the cars was 2.348 million UAH (2.78 million UAH last year).
The main customers in Ukraine were Alfa-Capital Bozhkivsky Elevator LLC, Oval LLC, Ukrsilko, and TAS Poltavvagon.
The total value of exports amounted to 4.4 million UAH (1.8% of sales volume), while in April–June 2025 it reached 222.8 million UAH (80.8%) due to a large contract to supply railcars to the Lithuanian company LTG Cargo.
“In the second quarter of 2026, the freight base for rail logistics in Ukraine showed a downward trend, which in turn continued to dampen demand for newly built freight railcars,” the report notes.
In addition, among the factors hindering railcar production in Ukraine are massive rocket attacks, which have significantly impacted the energy sector, transportation, and port infrastructure, as well as an increase in rolling stock turnaround time due to a shortage of traction rolling stock at Ukrzaliznytsia resulting from significant wear and tear.
The plant notes in its report that the value of contracts signed but not yet fulfilled as of the end of the reporting period amounts to 427.2 million UAH (excluding VAT), and the expected profit from their fulfillment is 19.2 million UAH.
As of early July of this year, the company employed 544 people (748 people last year).
“TAS Dniprovagonmash,” which has the capacity to produce 9,000 railcars per year, reportedly offers the widest range of freight railcars among domestic manufacturers (more than 160 models) and also produces steel structures, railcar bogies, spare parts, and equipment for the agricultural sector.
As previously reported, in 2025, the company reduced its production of freight cars by 8.6% compared to 2024—to 550 units—and sales by 8.2%, to 556 units. The company incurred a loss of 151.4 million UAH, whereas in 2024, net profit amounted to 62.2 million UAH, and net revenue decreased by 12% to 1.54 billion UAH.
LOSS, PRODUCTION, railcar, REVENUE, TAS
“Levada Cargo,” a member of the “Lemtrans” transportation and logistics group, announced the completion of an agreement to acquire a minority stake in the Eurobridge Intermodal Terminal (Batyevo village, Zakarpattia Oblast), whose majority partner is the German corporation Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA International), the company said in a press release.
Levada Cargo noted that the investment amount and other details of the agreement are not being disclosed by mutual agreement of the parties.
Philip Swins, Managing Director of HHLA International GmbH, noted that the partnership with Levada Cargo will strengthen the regional logistics hub and contribute to the development of transport links between Ukraine and European markets.
According to him, this agreement will expand and strengthen HHLA’s partner network, creating new opportunities for integrated logistics solutions.
For his part, Vladimir Demenko, CEO of Levada Cargo, emphasized that the partnership with HHLA is an important step in the development of the company’s terminal network.
“This investment will provide customers with maximum flexibility, efficiency, and reliability of transportation both domestically and on international routes,” Demenko noted.
Currently, the Levada Cargo network operates its own “Vinnytsia” container terminal, as well as partner projects: the “Fastiv” and “Mostyska” container terminals.
The Eurobridge Intermodal Terminal is located near the “Chop” and “Solovka” border crossings, which connect Ukraine, Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania, and is equipped with both European narrow gauge (1,435 mm) and Ukrainian broad gauge (1,520 mm) tracks.
In August 2025, the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) authorized the German company HHLA to acquire Eurobridge Intermodal Terminal LLC (Batyevo village).
Levada Cargo was founded in 2012 and is part of the “Lemtrans” group, which is a subsidiary of SCM. The company specializes in multimodal rail transportation in Ukraine and the European Union.
As reported, the Lemtrans Group’s rail freight volume in 2025 exceeded 16.2 million metric tons of various types of cargo, compared to 15.9 million metric tons in 2024.
In September 2025, it was reported that the Lemtrans Group (Kyiv), in partnership with Rail Trans Investment (Odesa), had completed the first phase of construction of the Fastiv Container Terminal, with approximately $7 million invested in the initial phase. As part of the project, two new rail tracks and a container yard capable of storing up to 1,350 TEU were fully equipped. At the time, the company noted that, in accordance with its growth strategy, the terminal’s throughput capacity is expected to reach 55,000 TEU.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, in cooperation with the State Tax Service of Ukraine, is expanding access for Ukrainian citizens residing abroad to the service for registering individuals in the State Register of Individual Taxpayers, which includes issuing an electronic taxpayer identification card (RNUKPN).
According to the MFA’s press service, a pilot version of the service was launched earlier this year—issuing RNUKPN cards to children under 18 upon application by a parent, submitted via the “e-Consul” system’s online portal or through a Ukrainian embassy or consulate.
As of July 30, the service became available to any Ukrainian citizen residing abroad who holds a valid identity document.
Ukrainian citizens aged 14 and older may apply for the service. To submit an application, you must visit the nearest Ukrainian embassy or consulate in person; through a representative acting on the basis of a notarized power of attorney or a corresponding document confirming the authority of the person’s legal representative (guardians, custodians, adoptive parents, foster parents at family-type children’s homes, foster caregivers, heads of relevant institutions, etc.). The application can be submitted either online through your personal account in the “e-Consul” system or in person at an embassy or consulate.
Submitting the application independently through your personal account in the “e-Consul” system is free of charge; if the application is submitted through a Ukrainian embassy or consulate, a consular fee for automated data processing is charged ($40 / EUR37).
Detailed information on how to apply for the service and the required documents is available on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs portal.
The ministry emphasized that the RNUKPN serves as a link between government registries, and its existence provides access to an ever-increasing number of digital government services, even abroad.
The launch of these new service features was made possible through cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the State Tax Service of Ukraine, with support from the IOM, UNDP, and UNHCR.
“We are continuing our work to digitize and simplify access to government services for Ukrainian citizens abroad. Every such reform is a demonstration of the state’s respect for its citizens. And when there is a sense of respect, there is motivation to maintain ties with Ukraine and the unity of our people both in our homeland and across all continents,” said Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga.
CITIZEN, e-Consul, MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, TAX, РНУКПН, Сибига
Paraguayan vori-vori soup took first place in the TasteAtlas Awards 2025/26 ranking of the world’s 100 best dishes, receiving a score of 4.64 out of 5.
The ranking was compiled based on 453,720 user ratings validated by the system, which were assigned to 11,781,000 dishes from the TasteAtlas culinary guide database.
“Vori-vori” is a thick soup with small balls made of corn flour and cheese. It is usually prepared in meat or chicken broth with vegetables and herbs. The dish is considered one of the most recognizable dishes of Paraguayan cuisine.
Second place went to Neapolitan pizza from Italy, with a score of 4.58. In third place was the Italian dish tajarin al tartufo bianco d’Alba—thin egg pasta with white truffles—which scored 4.52.
The top ten also included the Indonesian goat kebab sate kambing, the Turkish Oltu cağ kebabı, the Greek kontosouvli, the Peruvian arroz tapado, the Serbian komplet lepinja, the Mexican quesabirria, and the Italian pasta dish pappardelle al cinghiale.
Italy had the most entries in the top ten—three. Turkey, Paraguay, Indonesia, Greece, Peru, Serbia, and Mexico each have one dish represented.
TasteAtlas compiles its rankings based on audience ratings, using mechanisms to filter out invalid votes. Therefore, rankings may change as new ratings are submitted.
Ukrainian dishes are absent from the published list of the world’s 100 best dishes. Borscht, varenyky, syrnyky, and other Ukrainian dishes did not make it into this particular ranking.
TasteAtlas is an international online guide to traditional cuisine, local ingredients, and authentic restaurants. The project was founded by Croatian journalist and internet entrepreneur Matija Babić, who previously created the news portal Index.hr. After approximately three years of development, TasteAtlas was officially launched in 2018. The guide’s database includes about 19,900 traditional dishes and local ingredients, as well as over 21,000 restaurants. The project team collects historical and gastronomic information, recipes, critics’ reviews, and recommendations from local experts. TasteAtlas’s goal is to catalog the world’s traditional cuisines and preserve recipes and ingredients that may disappear from everyday use.
TasteAtlas ratings are primarily based on user reviews. The platform states that its system filters out bot votes, mass national voting, and suspicious activity, while giving greater weight to ratings from users whom the system recognizes as experienced and knowledgeable.
TasteAtlas is widely cited by international and national media and is one of the most well-known digital gastronomic guides. However, its rankings are not an official assessment by a professional jury or the equivalent of Michelin stars. They are best viewed as an indicator of the popularity of dishes among the platform’s international audience, rather than as a definitive expert classification of world cuisine.
The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has updated the informational website “Ukrainian Education for Children Abroad,” which brings together practical, methodological, and regulatory information for Ukrainian families, educators, and educational centers outside the country. On the platform, parents can learn about four main scenarios for their child’s education: combining a local school with Ukrainian distance learning, attending a Ukrainian educational center on weekends, studying exclusively at a local school, or completing the full Ukrainian curriculum remotely.
For children who are simultaneously enrolled in a school abroad, a Ukrainian studies component is provided. It covers the Ukrainian language, literature, history, and geography of Ukraine, as well as the basics of law. Grades in other subjects may be transferred, taking into account the student’s studies in the host country.
The website also features:
instructions and tables for transferring grades earned at schools abroad;
a sample curriculum for the Ukrainian studies component;
a list of Ukrainian schools offering distance learning classes;
a map of verified Saturday and Sunday Ukrainian schools;
information on the recognition of academic achievements and re-entry into the Ukrainian education system;
resources for educators and leaders of educational centers.
According to the platform, there are over 350 Ukrainian Saturday and Sunday schools operating worldwide. Academic achievements from educational centers verified by the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can be officially recognized by Ukrainian schools.
Separate sections of the resource are designed for parents, teachers, and educational centers. Materials are available for teachers on professional development, recognition of teaching experience, and lesson packages for the Ukrainian studies component.
The updated website is available at: https://www.ukrainian.studies.mon.gov.ua/
The platform is part of the “Children Abroad” state policy, which aims to maintain Ukrainian students’ connection to the national education system, language, and culture, as well as to facilitate their return to school in Ukraine.
