Moving abroad often feels like a fresh start. A new city. New rules. A new life. And a new English—the very same one you once learned for work, travel, or “for the future.”
But for many adult Ukrainians, the reality turns out to be different.
After a few months or years of living abroad, a person suddenly notices a strange feeling:
— English seems to have gotten simpler; — words come to mind more slowly; — you want to speak briefly; — small talk is exhausting; — you get a headache after phone calls; — and the phrase “I’m fine” is used more often than your own name.
And the most unpleasant part is that a thought creeps in:
“Maybe my English has gotten worse?”
In reality, very often the problem isn’t a lack of knowledge.
It’s “tired English.”
A state where a person knows the language, but their brain no longer has the energy to sound effortless, emotional, and natural.
“Tired English” isn’t an official linguistic term. But many Ukrainians abroad recognize this state very well.
It’s when your speech switches to “survival mode.”
You no longer try to sound interesting. You don’t choose elegant phrasing. You don’t joke. You don’t experiment.
You just want:
— to be understood; — for the conversation to end quickly; — to avoid having to ask people to repeat themselves; — to have enough energy to last another day.
And this is very noticeable in your speech.
It usually sounds:
— short; — dry; — overly cautious; — emotionally flat; — too formal or, conversely, too simplistic.
You start using the same words over and over.
For example:
— good — nice — okay — sorry — maybe — fine — thank you
Even if they actually know much more.
Instead of:
“Hi! I think there’s a small issue with the receipt — could we quickly check it together?”
the person says:
“Sorry… problem… receipt.”
Formally, the meaning is clear. But you can hear the fatigue.
Instead of:
“I’ve almost finished this task, I just need a bit more time to double-check everything.”
the person says:
“Not finished yet.”
Instead of a lively reaction:
“That actually makes a lot of sense.”
what you hear is:
“Okay.”
And the problem isn’t vocabulary.
The problem is that the brain is conserving energy.
Living in another language is a huge strain on the nervous system.
Especially for adults.
A child can adapt more quickly to a new linguistic reality. An adult, on the other hand:
— works; — handles paperwork; — rents an apartment; — worries about money; — reads letters; — communicates with doctors; — thinks about family; — frets over the news; — tries not to get lost in a new country.
And all of this—in a language that isn’t their native tongue.
Even if a person already knows English well, the brain often continues to work in two languages simultaneously.
You hear English. Then you mentally check the meaning. Then you formulate a response. Then you check the grammar. Then you worry about your accent.
And so on—dozens of times a day.
After a few months or years, this starts to wear you down.
Especially when English stops being an “interesting language for personal growth” and becomes a tool for survival.
Many Ukrainians now exist in a constant state of language switching.
At home—Ukrainian. At work—English. News—in Ukrainian. Documents—in English. A call to Mom—in Ukrainian. A conversation with a bank manager—in English.
The brain hardly gets any rest.
Sometimes even a simple everyday conversation starts to feel like a mini-exam.
Especially when a person is tired.
That’s why Ukrainians abroad may sound quieter, simpler, or less emotional—not because of “poor English,” but because of nervous system overload.
Here are a few very typical symptoms.
You have more complex thoughts in your head. But what comes out is:
“Yes.” “No.” “Maybe.” “It’s okay.”
Humor requires energy.
When a person is exhausted, the brain switches to the safest possible communication mode.
Messages are still tolerable.
But live conversations cause stress. Especially if you have to react quickly.
Sometimes you literally have a headache.
This is real cognitive fatigue.
There used to be TV shows, YouTube, or podcasts.
Now, after work, you just want silence.
And you stop thinking about naturalness, emotions, or your own style.
If you recognized yourself in at least half of these points—it doesn’t mean your English has “gotten worse.” Often, it’s just a sign that your brain is overloaded and needs gentler practice and support. Sometimes even a few weeks in a space where it’s okay to speak slowly is enough.
This is a very common situation.
Many people think:
“I’m already living abroad. Why hasn’t the language barrier disappeared yet?”
Because adaptation isn’t just about vocabulary.
When a person lives under stress for a long time, the brain starts to avoid unnecessary strain.
And speaking English in real-life conversations is a major strain.
You have to:
— listen; — react quickly; — control yourself; — notice the other person’s reaction; — construct sentences; — not get lost; — not sound “strange.”
That’s why the fear of speaking English is often linked not to grammar, but to mental exhaustion.
One of the main signs of “tired English” is that speech becomes overly functional.
For example:
Instead of:
“Hope your week is going well!”
the person writes:
“Hello. I have a question.”
Instead of:
“I moved here recently, so I’m still figuring everything out.”
the person says:
“I’m from Ukraine.”
And falls silent.
Instead of:
“Could you give me a minute? I’m still waking up.”
it sounds like:
“Sorry. One minute.”
The person seems to stop “living” the language. They’re simply fulfilling communication tasks.
This is very important to understand.
After moving, many people temporarily simplify their language.
Especially during periods of:
— adaptation; — emotional exhaustion; — heavy workload; — instability; — anxiety; — loneliness.
And that’s normal.
The brain isn’t “breaking down.” It’s trying to survive.
That’s why English for adults often doesn’t require strict discipline, but rather a safe environment where you can once again feel at ease speaking.
Many people make the same mistake at this point:
they start putting even more pressure on themselves.
New words. New textbooks. Even more grammar. Even more “musts.”
But the problem is often not a lack of knowledge.
The problem is burnout.
It’s better to bring life back to words you already know.
For example, instead of the dry:
“I’m busy.”
say:
“It’s been a long day.”
It’s simpler, but it sounds warmer.
Try saying these more often:
— what a relief — that was fun — I needed this — I’m exhausted today — that actually made me laugh
Even small emotional phrases make English more lively.
It doesn’t have to be complex TED Talks.
Sometimes your brain needs:
— a sitcom; — a vlog; — light-hearted YouTube; — short videos; — simple dialogues.
English after moving abroad doesn’t always have to be “useful.”
Sometimes it just needs to stop being exhausting.
It’s much easier for adults to brush up on conversational English online through real-life topics:
— work; — moving; — daily life; — kids; — fatigue; — dreams; — a new life; — strange situations abroad.
Not through:
“Describe your perfect vacation.”
Perfect English isn’t a prerequisite for normal communication.
Most people in an international setting don’t speak perfectly either.
But they sound more relaxed.
This is a highly underrated practice.
When a person reads aloud:
— the rhythm of speech returns; — internal fear decreases; — English begins to sound more natural; — the brain stops “stuck” on every word.
For adults, this is critically important.
When a person is afraid of making mistakes, the brain automatically simplifies speech.
That’s why sometimes the greatest progress comes not from the “best teacher,” but from an atmosphere where you can think, make mistakes, laugh, and speak at your own pace.
For adults, it is especially important that English be associated not with stress, but with normal communication. That is why it is worth looking for classes without the pressure of school, where you can think, joke, and speak at your own pace.
Because it’s not just about words.
It’s about feeling safe.
When a person stops:
— being afraid of their accent; — feeling self-conscious about pauses; — mentally “taking a test”; — constantly checking themselves; — worrying about mistakes,
English starts to sound different.
Warmer. Calmer. More alive.
And very often, that’s when a person suddenly realizes:
“I can speak normally again.”
In short:
— less self-criticism; — more real-life communication; — less perfectionism; — more genuine emotions; — less fear; — more safe practice.
Because for adults, the language barrier is very often not a linguistic problem, but an emotional one.
Especially after moving abroad.
“Tired English” isn’t a sign that you’ve “lost your language.”
It’s often just the result of a long adjustment period, stress, and living under constant pressure.
Many Ukrainians abroad go through this.
And that’s normal.
Your language can come alive again.
Not perfect. Not “like a native speaker.” But calm, natural, and yours.
Sometimes “living English” returns not when you’ve learned another 50 phrases, but when you stop being afraid of sounding imperfect.
If you want to speak more calmly, naturally, and without constant internal tension again—perhaps a gentle return to living English is right for you.
Fozzy Group has opened its 200th Thrash!Trash! store, which has begun operations in Krasyliv, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, according to the group’s press service.
The convenience store format combines a wide range of products, affordable prices, a convenient shopping experience, and the brand’s energetic atmosphere.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the chain has opened 122 new Thrash!Trash! stores. It is now represented in 107 towns and cities across 18 regions of Ukraine.
Thrash! is part of the Fozzy Group, a commercial and industrial group with more than 825 retail outlets across the country (Silpo, Fozzy, Fora, Thrash!, “Bila Romashka” pharmacy supermarkets, and E-ZOO pet stores).
Poltava Mining and Processing Plant PJSC (PGZK, Komsomolsk, Poltava Oblast), the main asset of the Ferrexpo Group, whose majority shareholder is businessman Kostyantyn Zhevago, reduced its net loss by 2.94 times compared to the same period last year—to UAH 406.452 million from UAH 1.19657 billion—based on its performance in January–March of this year.
According to the company’s interim report, available to the agency “Interfax-Ukraine,” revenue from ordinary activities for this period also decreased by 2.94 times—to 2.508029 billion UAH from 7.363388 billion UAH.
Retained earnings as of the end of March 2026 amounted to UAH 11.923358 billion.
The official report for 2025 has not yet been published. At the same time, PGZK reported a net loss of UAH 2.043378 billion for the first nine months of 2025, compared to a net profit of UAH 448.185 million in the first nine months of 2024; revenue then decreased by 9.7% to UAH 16.204660 billion. Retained earnings as of the end of September 2025 amounted to UAH 17.563201 billion.
PGZK’s net loss in 2025 amounted to UAH 4.861128 billion, with revenue of UAH 20.775232 billion.
According to the 2024 annual report, PGZK incurred a loss of UAH 3,153,916,000 in 2024 on revenue from ordinary activities of UAH 23,707,648,000; in 2023, the loss amounted to 5,444,659 million UAH with revenue of 15,065,640 million UAH.
Ferrexpo is an iron ore company with assets in Ukraine. Its main activity is the production and export of iron ore pellets used in steel production.
According to the State Audit Office’s data for the first quarter of 2026, Ferrexpo AG (Switzerland) owns 100% of the shares in Poltava Mining.
Poltava Mining’s authorized capital is 3.0876 billion UAH.
According to the Interfax-Ukraine Culture project, in June the National Opera of Ukraine will present the world premiere of the concert version of the opera “Mothers of Kherson” by composer Maksym Kolomiets, with a libretto by American playwright George Brant, as well as a series of landmark opera and ballet productions.
According to the opera, the premiere will take place on June 4 with the participation of the orchestra and choir of the National Opera of Ukraine, the “Kyiv Camerata” ensemble, and the Children’s Choir of the M.V. Lysenko Kyiv State Music and Lyceum. At the conductor’s podium will be world-renowned Canadian conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson.
The opera “Mothers of Kherson” is based on the true stories of Ukrainian women who traveled thousands of kilometers to bring home their children, who had been illegally taken by Russia from the occupied territories.
The concert version will be the first public presentation of the work, commissioned jointly by the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Polish National Opera in Warsaw. The world stage premiere will take place in Warsaw in October 2026, and the American premiere is scheduled at the Metropolitan Opera for the 2027–2028 season.
“This is a story about one of the most painful crimes of this war. It is important to me that this experience be heard around the world,” noted composer Maksym Kolomiets.
In addition to the premiere, the theater’s June program features the operas “Madame Butterfly,” “Nabucco,” “La Bohème,” “Zaporozhets za Dunayem,” “Faust,” “La Traviata,” “The Tales of Hoffmann,” “Turandot,” and “Natalka Poltavka.”
Ballet fans will be able to see performances of “Giselle,” “Le Corsaire,” “The Forest Song,” “Don Quixote,” “The Marriage of Figaro,” “The Lady of the Camellias,” and “La Sylphide.”
The month will conclude with a recital concert by pupils and students of the Serzh Lifar Kyiv Municipal Academy of Dance, which will take place on June 30.
Tickets for the performances are being released gradually and are available on the official website of the National Opera of Ukraine and at the theater box office.
https://interfax.com.ua/news/culture/1172002.html
national_opera_of_ukraine, opera, opera_of_the_mother_of_kherson
The European Commission has fined the Chinese online platform Temu €200 million for violating the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) due to insufficient assessment of the risks associated with the distribution of illegal and dangerous goods on its marketplace.
According to the European Commission’s statement, Temu failed to exercise due diligence in identifying illegal goods on its platform and in assessing the potential harm to consumers in the EU. The investigation revealed that the platform posed a high risk of purchasing goods that do not meet European safety requirements, including chargers, children’s toys, clothing containing banned chemicals, and jewelry containing lead.
The European Commission, in particular, highlighted the very high proportion of chargers that failed basic safety tests. Similar concerns were raised regarding children’s toys, which posed a threat due to chemical concentrations exceeding permissible limits, as well as other risks to consumers. During the inspection, the regulator used the “mystery shopper” method and laboratory testing of products.
According to the European Commission’s assessment, Temu’s risk assessment report did not meet DSA requirements, as it did not allow regulators, users, and the public to understand the true scale of potential harm from illegal goods sold on the platform. Brussels also believes that Temu’s recommendation system could have increased the risk of purchasing such goods by promoting problematic product categories to users.
“Temu’s risk assessment report leaves regulators, users, and the public in the dark regarding the scale of potential harm that illegal goods sold on the platform could cause,” said Henna Wirkkunen, Executive Vice President of the European Commission for Technological Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy.
Temu must pay the fine and submit a plan of corrective measures to the European Commission by August 28. If the regulator deems the proposed steps insufficient, the company could face additional sanctions. The investigation into other possible DSA violations by Temu is ongoing.
The company disagreed with the European Commission’s decision and called the fine disproportionate. Temu stated that it continues to cooperate with regulators and has already made changes to its risk assessment system and internal control procedures.
Temu is owned by China’s PDD Holdings and has become one of the largest international low-price marketplaces in recent years. The platform is actively operating in the EU market, where it falls under the DSA as a major online service. The Digital Services Act imposes obligations on such platforms to assess systemic risks, combat illegal content and goods, ensure algorithm transparency, and protect users. For serious violations of the DSA, companies can be fined up to 6% of their global annual turnover.
European Commission, Temu
The office real estate market of Kyiv and Ukraine’s largest cities by May 2026 is demonstrating cautious stabilization after several years of shocks caused by the pandemic, the full-scale war, business relocation and the transition of some companies to a hybrid work format. The main demand factors remain building safety, completed renovation, autonomous infrastructure, the availability of shelters and the ability to move in quickly without significant capital expenditures.
Kyiv still remains the country’s largest office market. According to InVenture estimates, the total competitive supply of office real estate in Kyiv in 2025 decreased to 2.10 million sq. m, while the vacancy rate fell to 18.5%. The annual volume of gross take-up amounted to about 160 thousand sq. m, which is 26% more than a year earlier. At the same time, about 40% of take-up was related not to the organic expansion of business, but to the forced relocation of companies from damaged properties.
According to the Confederation of Builders of Ukraine, citing a CBRE Ukraine presentation, in the first half of 2025 demand for offices in Kyiv grew by 16%, to 82 thousand sq. m, while supply decreased by 3%, to 2.1 million sq. m, due to damage to office buildings. Vacancy in the market stood at about 21%, while 20% of demand was formed by tenants forced to relocate from properties affected by strikes.
“The office market in Kyiv can no longer be assessed according to pre-war logic. Today, a tenant chooses not simply an address or a building class, but the ability of a property to ensure business continuity. A shelter, generators, engineering systems, the safety of the district and the readiness of the premises for quick move-in have become parameters as important as the rental rate,” says the founder of the Experts Club analytical center, Candidate of Economic Sciences Maksym Urakin.
Rental rates in Kyiv remain relatively stable, but the market retains pronounced differentiation. According to InVenture, effective rates for class A offices without renovation at the end of 2025 amounted to $14-18 per sq. m per month excluding VAT and operating expenses, while for offices with renovation they amounted to $19-25 per sq. m. Asking rates for class A were in the range of $16-27 per sq. m, and for class B — $8-18 per sq. m.
In 2026, Kyiv’s office market remains a tenant’s market: property owners are forced to offer flexible terms, divide large areas into smaller blocks, invest in ready-made finishing and increase the autonomy of buildings. At the same time, the best class A and B+ properties with shelters, stable power supply and high-quality operation are holding demand better than outdated buildings and premises without renovation.
CBRE Ukraine senior office real estate consultant Anastasiia Kachan noted that in Kyiv the connection between the rate and the specific location of a business center has strengthened: now not only proximity to the metro matters, but also the location relative to infrastructure or military facilities. According to her, each business center can effectively operate outside the typical rules of its submarket or district.
IT companies remain the key tenants in Kyiv, but the structure of demand has become broader. Activity is also being formed by the defense sector, medical companies, professional services, consulting, logistics, representative offices of international organizations and part of the business related to reconstruction. According to CBU/CBRE Ukraine, in 2025 demand from the military sector increased noticeably, and the market began adapting offers to such needs.
“The office has ceased to be a place of daily presence for all employees, but it has not lost its significance for management, communication and corporate culture. Companies are optimizing space, but they are not abandoning a quality office. Therefore, demand is shifting from large monofunctional spaces to more flexible, safe and technological formats,” Experts Club notes.
Development activity remains minimal. In 2025, not a single new business center was commissioned in Kyiv, and by the end of 2026, according to InVenture’s estimate, about 27 thousand sq. m may enter the market, but commissioning deadlines may be postponed due to security risks, limited financing and a weak level of pre-leasing.
The situation in Ukraine’s major cities is heterogeneous. Lviv remains one of the most active regional office markets thanks to business relocation, the presence of the IT sector, proximity to the EU border and a relatively higher level of safety compared with the eastern and southern regions. According to Forbes Ukraine, by the end of 2025 vacancy in Lviv business centers decreased to 25%, while rental rates remained at $7-15 per sq. m.
In 2026, the Lviv market can be considered the second most important after Kyiv in terms of office demand, but its scale is limited. For tenants, ready-made premises, transport accessibility, energy resilience and the possibility of accommodating small or medium-sized teams are important. Large deals remain rare, while some companies prefer hybrid formats or coworking spaces.
Dnipro retains the role of an industrial, logistics and service center, but the city’s office market remains more local and less institutionalized than in Kyiv or Lviv. Demand is formed by regional companies, service businesses, retail operators, logistics, medical services and part of production structures. Due to proximity to an area of increased risks, tenants are especially sensitive to the safety, cost and autonomy of premises.
Odesa remains an important southern business center, but the city’s office market is strongly dependent on the overall security situation, port and logistics activity, tourism, trade and service business. The market includes both classic offices in central districts and premises in new multifunctional complexes. Demand in 2026 remains selective: tenants choose ready-made small premises, while large corporate deals are limited.
Kharkiv remains the most difficult of the large office markets due to the high level of security risks and proximity to the frontline zone. A significant part of business operates in a reduced, distributed or remote format. Nevertheless, the market has not stopped completely: demand remains for small offices, service premises, spaces for local business and properties with minimal operating costs.
“In regional cities, office real estate has ceased to be a single segment. Lviv operates as a market of relocation and IT, Dnipro as a market of industrial and service business, Odesa as a southern trade and logistics hub, and Kharkiv as a market of survival and adaptation. Therefore, comparing them only by rental rate is no longer correct: it is more important to look at safety, the tenant profile and the resilience of the local economy,” Maksym Urakin believes.
A common trend for all major cities has been the reassessment of office space. Companies more often choose smaller areas, completed renovation, flexible lease terms and buildings where the owner assumes part of the capital expenditures. Premises without renovation and large blocks in outdated properties remain less liquid, since tenants are not ready to invest in expensive fit-out amid high uncertainty.
Another factor is autonomy. After energy crises and attacks on infrastructure, offices with generators, stable internet, backup systems, shelters and high-quality management gained a competitive advantage. In some cases, such characteristics allow properties to maintain their rate even with overall high market vacancy.
According to InVenture’s assessment, the investment logic of office real estate in 2026 has become more cautious: before the pandemic and the war, the typical payback period for office premises was estimated at about 7-8 years, whereas in 2026, 10-12 years is already becoming the norm for most assets. At the same time, the best properties with a strong tenant and a successful location may show more attractive results, but this is rather an exception.
According to Experts Club’s forecast, by the end of 2026 Ukraine’s office market will move according to a scenario of slow recovery without a sharp increase in rates. Kyiv will retain the status of the main market, Lviv the status of the main regional center of demand, while Dnipro, Odesa and Kharkiv will develop mainly at the expense of local tenants and selective deals.
“The main risk for the market is not the absence of demand, but its quality. Demand exists, but it has become cautious, rational and demanding. Tenants want to pay not for meters, but for a guaranteed ability to work. This means that office real estate in Ukraine is gradually moving from a space model to a service and resilience model,” Experts Club summarizes.
Thus, by May 2026, the office real estate market of Kyiv and major Ukrainian cities remains in a transitional phase. It has already passed through the period of a shock decline, but has not yet returned to a full-fledged investment cycle. The most sought-after offices are becoming safe, ready-to-use, energy-resilient and flexible ones. Outdated properties without renovation, autonomy and a clear operational model will continue to lose competitiveness.
