In April 2026, Ukraine reduced its electricity imports by 41%—to 558,300 MWh, according to the DIXI Group analytical center, citing data from Energy Map.
“This is the second consecutive month of declining volumes of purchases from abroad,” the center noted.
At the same time, exports rose by 10%—to 33,300 MWh—but remained insignificant and occurred only during specific hours of temporary surplus in Ukraine’s power grid. By the end of the month, Ukraine had imported 17 times more electricity than it exported.
As explained by DIXI Group, the decline in imports and the modest growth in exports in April were driven by several factors. On the one hand, predominantly warm and clear weather, as well as longer daylight hours, contributed to increased generation from solar power plants and reduced the load on the power grid due to lower consumption. On the other hand, the security situation remained tense: at least three waves of heavy shelling were recorded during the month (on April 1–2, 3, and 16), resulting in infrastructure damage and limitations on available generation. An additional factor was the temporary reinstatement of differentiated price caps starting April 1, which reduced the economic attractiveness of imports during certain hours.
Under these conditions, consumption restrictions were periodically applied to balance the power system, but they were significantly less extensive than in March.
Hungary accounted for the largest share of imports in April—305,600 MWh, or 55%. Poland and Romania accounted for 125,200 MWh and 124,200 MWh, respectively—22% each. Meanwhile, Moldova accounted for 3.2 thousand MWh (1%), and Slovakia for 0.13 thousand MWh (<0.1%).
For comparison: in April 2025, imports amounted to 187.0 thousand MWh—three times less than in the reporting month.
“The average utilization of the permitted transmission capacity in April was 36.9% of the approved nominal value (2.1 GW),” DIXI Group reported. In turn, in March of this year, this figure stood at 60.4%. The maximum value of 88.4% was recorded on April 19 between 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
The nominal capacity limit for imports from EU countries to Ukraine and Moldova has been 2.45 GW since January. At the same time, part of this capacity is used for electricity imports to Moldova, so approximately 2,100 MW of commercial imports are available to Ukraine. However, the amount of permitted import capacity for each country in the bloc is dynamic and may vary depending on the operational situation in the countries’ power systems.
Ukrzaliznytsia JSC is deploying over 800 modular shelters across the country to enhance employee protection in light of the increasing number of attacks on railway infrastructure, according to a company statement released on Wednesday.
“These shelters allow people to take cover quickly during an alert and protect against debris during shelling. And this isn’t just theory: yesterday (May 5 – IF-U), such a shelter in the Kharkiv region saved the life of a female conductor who evacuated in time after receiving a danger alert,” Ukrzaliznytsia reported on Telegram.
It is noted that these shelters will be installed in the most dangerous locations.
Ukrzaliznytsia emphasized that this initiative is part of the company’s resilience plan, which aims to ensure uninterrupted operations and protect people under difficult conditions.
Since the beginning of 2026, approximately 983 attacks on railway infrastructure have been recorded, Ukrzaliznytsia noted.
As reported, on May 5, the enemy attacked Ukrzaliznytsia infrastructure in the Kharkiv, Poltava, and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
OTP Bank (Kyiv) reported nearly UAH 1.0 billion in net profit for January–March 2026, which is 16.2%, or UAH 0.19 billion, less than in the same period of 2025.
In the first quarter of 2026, the financial institution’s pre-tax profit amounted to UAH 1.99 billion, which is 25.4%, or UAH 0.40 billion, more than in the first quarter of 2025.
OTP Bank’s net interest income for the reporting period increased by 22.6%, or UAH 0.51 billion, to UAH 2.77 billion, while net fee and commission income rose by 18.0%, or UAH 49.4 million, to UAH 0.32 billion.
It is noted that in the first quarter of 2026, the bank’s profit from foreign currency transactions increased threefold to UAH 164.6 million, while the loss from foreign currency revaluation amounted to UAH 77.7 million, compared to a profit of UAH 249.0 million in the first quarter of 2025.
At the same time, OTP Bank recorded UAH 139.2 million in net profit from transactions with financial instruments measured at fair value in January–March of this year, compared to a loss of UAH 278.6 million for the same period in 2025, while impairment losses increased 2.1-fold—to UAH 322.2 million from UAH 151.0 million.
At the same time, the bank’s employee compensation expenses rose by 25.6% to UAH 644.4 million, while other administrative and operating expenses increased by 23.5% to UAH 208.4 million.
Since the beginning of the year, the bank has increased its loan portfolio by 8.5%, or UAH 3.86 billion, to UAH 49.38 billion. The bank’s total assets decreased by 2.5%, or by UAH 3.43 billion, to UAH 132.56 billion, while total liabilities decreased by 4.1%, or by UAH 4.55 billion, to UAH 105.46 billion.
The bank’s equity increased by 4.3%, or UAH 1.12 billion, during this period—to nearly UAH 27.1 billion, of which retained earnings amounted to UAH 18.65 billion.
According to the National Bank, as of January 1, 2026, with total assets of UAH 141.72 billion, OTP Bank ranked 10th among Ukraine’s 60 banks, and its net profit for 2025 amounted to UAH 5.45 billion.
Ukrainian exports of high-oleic sunflower oil in the 2025/26 season are expected to drop to 207,000 tons, which is 8% lower than the figures for the previous marketing year, according to the information and analytical agency “APK-Inform.”
“The high-oleic sunflower sector has not yet been able to return to pre-war production levels. Even a partial recovery in planted areas is offset by weather anomalies and extremely unstable premiums for farmers. Under such conditions, producers often opt for less risky crops, which automatically limits the export potential of the oil,” analysts explained.
According to their information, the geography of product shipments has undergone a significant transformation this season: the share of the traditional EU market in September–March fell from 72% to 60% (84,300 tons). At the same time, Ukrainian companies are actively expanding their presence in Asia and North America. In particular, exports to Malaysia rose by 82%, to Saudi Arabia by 47%, and Singapore increased its purchases more than 30-fold.
APK-Inform forecasts that reducing dependence on the European market and expanding sales to 50 countries worldwide will be the main driver for Ukraine’s vegetable oil segment in the coming years.
Over the past three years, Turkish investors have invested approximately EUR614 million in Greek real estate, significantly strengthening their presence in the housing market of their neighboring country. According to experts, the main motivation for buyers from Turkey has been the desire to protect their capital from high inflation, currency fluctuations, and domestic economic uncertainty. For them, Greek real estate serves not only as an investment asset but also as a way to gain access to the European residency program.
An additional factor is the Golden Visa program, which allows citizens of non-EU countries to obtain a residence permit in Greece through investment. Depending on the property and region, the minimum investment threshold ranges from EUR250,000 to EUR800,000, and the residence permit itself is issued for five years with the possibility of renewal provided the investment is maintained.
The growth in interest from Turkish buyers is particularly noticeable against the backdrop of an overall decline in foreign investment in Greek real estate. According to the Bank of Greece, foreign investment in this sector fell by 22% in 2025—to EUR2.05 billion, down from EUR2.75 billion the previous year. Despite the decline, 2025 remained one of the strongest years for the market in terms of foreign capital inflows.
For Greece, Turkish demand has a dual effect. On the one hand, it supports developers, the secondary housing market, and investments in tourist areas. On the other hand, it increases pressure on prices, especially in Athens, Thessaloniki, on the islands, and in coastal locations, where supply is limited and local residents are already facing housing affordability issues.
Turkish investors’ interest is also linked to geographical proximity. Greece is perceived as a familiar and relatively close market: tourism and business ties are developing between the countries, and the Greek islands remain a popular destination for Turkish citizens. Reuters previously reported that Greece had extended a simplified visa regime for Turkish citizens to a number of Aegean islands, which further bolstered ties between the two markets.
In the near future, Turkish capital is likely to continue playing a significant role in the Greek market.
Ukraine has announced its decision to open an embassy in Manama (Kingdom of Bahrain). The opening of the embassy was announced during a meeting between Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga and Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani.
“As part of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Bahrain, I was pleased to hold a bilateral meeting with my colleague Dr. Abdullatif Al Zayani,” Sybiga wrote on Telegram on Tuesday.
According to him, Ukraine announced today its decision to open an embassy in Bahrain’s capital, Manama. “We also signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain. These are concrete steps toward a stronger and more structured partnership,“ Sibiga said.
He also noted that the parties ”agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation, which has gained real momentum in recent years following the Bahraini minister’s first visit to Ukraine in 2023.”
According to the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, the current talks focused on regional security. “Ukraine expresses solidarity with Bahrain and other GCC countries in the face of Iran’s irresponsible destabilizing actions.”
“The situation in the Strait of Hormuz requires special attention, as freedom of navigation must be guaranteed as a cornerstone of global energy security and the stability of international markets. We agreed to strengthen coordination within international organizations and expand cooperation in the areas of food security and supply stability,” Sibiga emphasized.
According to him, Ukraine is ready to offer practical solutions, in particular to share its experience in countering security threats and strengthening resilience.
