Bus registrations (new, imported used, and domestic resales) in March 2026 rose by 41.8% compared to February of the same year—to 553 units—though this is three buses fewer than the figure for March 2025, according to the Automotive Market Research Institute (AMRI).
“Domestic resales remain the main channel for vehicle sales (355 transactions), showing a 47.9% increase compared to February. However, on an annual basis (compared to March 2025), the market still lags by 9.9%, which is a consequence of the high operating costs of outdated models,” reads a post on the IAM website.
The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter remains the leader in resales (72 transactions), which, according to experts, has effectively monopolized the niche of suburban and intercity express transportation. Second place goes to the VDL Citea (46 transactions), which, according to experts, indicates active turnover of used European low-floor buses in the domestic market.
Third and fourth places are held by the Ukrainian brands “Etalon” and “Bogdan”—with 21 and 20 transactions, respectively. They hold positions in the school and budget commuter transport segment.
The import segment for used buses in March grew by 26% compared to February 2026, reaching 97 units (102 units in March 2025). More than half of the top five registrations are accounted for by Daimler Group products—led by the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (31 units), with the Cirato and Vario models in second and third place (12 and 7 units, respectively).
“With diesel priced at 90 UAH/liter, carriers are opting for Euro-5 and Euro-6 compliant vehicles, which is a necessary condition for maintaining profitability on routes,” the report states.
The new bus segment (imports and Ukrainian production) totaled 101 units in March—68% more than in March of last year, but, as noted by the IDA, the main trend was the growth in imports of new vehicles (53 units—four times more than in February 2026), which for the first time in a long time exceeded domestic production volumes (48 units).
According to experts, the Isuzu Citiport (20 units) became the market leader, indicating the implementation of targeted programs to renew city fleets. Second place went to the new Ford Transit (17 units), which are used as social and corporate transport. Next are the Ukrainian “Etalon” and “Bogdan” – 12 units each.
“Domestic manufacturers (BAZ, ”Bogdan,” Ataman, ZAZ) recorded a 20% decline in production in March compared to February. The majority of the vehicles produced are small-class suburban models, which are traditionally purchased with budget funds. The positive year-over-year trend (+71.4% compared to March 2025) indicates a gradual resumption of factory operations following last year’s stagnation,” experts note.
Initial registrations of new and used buses (including minibuses) in Ukraine in March 2026 rose by 21% compared to the same month in 2025—to 247 units, according to a report by Ukravtoprom on its Telegram channel.
Compared to February of this year, demand for buses increased by 44.4%.
At the same time, new vehicles accounted for 52% of this volume, compared to 34% last year.
In March, no Ukrainian manufacturer made it into the top three among new buses; the most frequently registered buses were Isuzu (29 units), Ford (23 units), and Citroën (15 units).
Among used buses, the most frequently registered were Mercedes-Benz (57 units), Volkswagen (10 units), and Van Hool (9 units).
In total, 647 buses were added to Ukraine’s bus fleet in the first quarter of this year (+6% compared to the same period in 2025). Of these, 319 were new (+10%) and 328 were used (+2.5%).
As reported with reference to data from “Ukravtoprom,” Ukraine’s bus fleet was expanded by 2,700 buses in 2025—21% more than in 2024—including 1,343 new buses (+4%) and 1,364 imported used buses (+44%).
Initial registrations of new and used buses (including minibuses) in Ukraine in January 2026 decreased by 2%, or 4 units, compared to the first month of 2025, to 229 units, Ukravtoprom reported on its Telegram channel.
According to the association, new vehicles accounted for 48% of this volume (last year it was 64%).
“In terms of the number of new buses sold (109 units), this was the worst January figure in the last 10 years,” the report states.
At the same time, Ukravtoprom emphasizes that the January replenishment of the fleet with used buses (120 units) was a record since 2014.
Domestic vehicles were the most common among new buses registered in January, with ZAZ leading the way with 25 units, which ranked third in January 2025 with 27 vehicles.
In second place were Ataman buses from the Cherkasy Bus factory, which were the leader in January last year, with 20 units (36 units last year), and Bogdan buses rose to third place (17 units). Etalon buses from the Chernihiv Automobile Plant, which ranked second last year with 34 vehicles, did not make it into the top three.
Among used vehicles, as in January 2025, Mercedes-Benz buses were the most frequently registered – 45 units (25 units last year). They are followed by VDL – 13 units (15 units) and MAN – 9 units.
According to data from Ukravtoprom, Ukraine’s vehicle fleet in 2025 was replenished with 2,700 buses, which is 21% more than in 2024, including 1,343 new buses (+4%) and 1,364 imported used buses (+44%).
The ElectronMash plant (Lviv), which is part of the Electron corporation, and the Rivne NPP branch of the Energoatom National Nuclear Energy Company have signed a contract for the supply of five new large city buses for an estimated UAH 75.375 million (excluding VAT).
According to information in Prozorro, the agreement was signed on December 24 after ElectronMash was declared the winner of the relevant tender, in which it was the only participant.
According to the contract, with a total value of UAH 90.45 million (including VAT), the buses will be delivered within 245 calendar days from the date of receipt of the advance payment. A 30% advance payment (UAH 27.135 million) is provided for within 30 calendar days from the date of signing.
As reported, ElectronMash offered 12-meter low-floor Electron A18501 buses at a price of UAH 15.075 million (excluding VAT) each.
The buses were manufactured this year. They are equipped with a Cummins diesel engine that meets the Euro 6 environmental standard, a ZF automatic transmission, and an EBS system. Each bus is designed to carry more than 100 passengers (at least 30 seated), equipped with a folding ramp and seat belts in the passenger compartment to secure wheelchairs.
The Electron A18501 buses were first introduced by the manufacturer in 2016 and are currently in operation in Lviv and Uzhhorod.
The Rivne Nuclear Power Plant announced a tender for the purchase of five large buses on October 17 this year, with a delivery date of November 30, 2026. The auction was scheduled for October 28, but the customer postponed the deadline for submitting bids and its date several times.
As reported, the large Ukrainian bus manufacturer Etalon Corporation considered the tender conditions to be discriminatory, as they were written for the Turkish Temsa LF 12 bus, and also noted that for the announced price, it could offer seven Etalon buses instead of five. However, the customer did not change the tender conditions proposed by Etalon.
ElektronMash Plant LLC, in which Concern-Elektron JSC owns a 55% stake, specializes in the design and manufacture of trams, trolleybuses, electric buses, and city passenger buses, as well as aggregates and spare parts.
In 2024, the plant increased its net income by 87.7% compared to the previous year, to UAH 244 million, with a net profit of UAH 0.06 million, compared to UAH 0.9 million in 2023.
Sales of new buses in Ukraine in 2025 will grow by 13-15% compared to 2024 – to 940-950 units, according to Vadym Shkarupin, director of the Etalon Auto trading house.
“Although the year is not over yet, and we, like other companies, are still working, according to open data (excluding closed purchases), about 940-950 buses will be sold, compared to 831 buses last year,” he said at a press conference in Kyiv on Monday.
According to his data, Ataman buses manufactured by the Cherkasy Bus plant are in first place in sales this year with 370 units (market share of 39%), followed by ZAZ buses from the Zaporizhzhia Automobile Plant (UKRAVTO Group) with 240 units (24%), and third place goes to Etalon buses manufactured by the Chernihiv Automobile Plant, with 130 units (14%).
Next in the ranking are Bogdan buses (manufactured by BAS Motor in Lutsk) with 100 units (11%), and fifth place is taken by imported Isuzu buses (50 units or 6% of the market).
Another 50 buses are from other manufacturers: Turkish Temsa, Otocar, and two Elektron buses.
The largest number of buses sold were in the small class – 720 units (77%), 160 units (17%) were sold in the medium class, and 60 units (6.5%) in the large class.
Almost all buses sold were diesel-powered, with two electric buses sold.
“In terms of structure, 88-90% of sales were made using budget funds: for example, of the 940 buses sold, 720 were school buses. No more than 12% were sold to retailers, but this cannot even be called retail, because these were purchases made by companies for their own needs, to transport personnel. We had orders from Ukrnafta, from the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant, and other manufacturers are also working in this direction. Meanwhile, retail is at a standstill today, there are no purchases,” Shkarupin said.
At the same time, he noted that Ukrainian companies have work thanks to the School Bus program.
Passenger traffic across the Ukrainian border in the third week of December, from December 13 to 19, jumped by 26.3% to 562,000 as Christmas approached, and this weekend the increase reached 50%, causing queues at the border with Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia, according to data from the State Border Service.
According to them, the number of border crossings for departure increased to 279,000 from 226,000 a week earlier, while the increase for entry was even more significant – to 283,000 from 219,000.
This Saturday, December 20, the number of border crossings for exit and entry was also similar – 62,000 and 63,000, compared to 41,000 and 39,000, respectively, on the previous Saturday.
The number of vehicles that passed through checkpoints this week also jumped to 140,000 from 123,000 a week earlier, while the flow of vehicles carrying humanitarian cargo remained at around 520.
According to the State Border Service, as of 12:00 on Sunday, there were no queues at the border with Romania and Poland, while at the borders with three other countries, there were queues at all checkpoints.
At the border with Poland, most passenger cars and buses were waiting to cross at the Krakovets checkpoint – 150 and 20, respectively. The queue at the Ustyluh checkpoint consisted of 125 cars and 15 buses, at the Rava-Ruska checkpoint – 110 cars, Smilnytsia checkpoint – 85 cars and 6 buses, Shehyni checkpoint – 80 cars and 19 buses, Hrushev checkpoint – 80 cars and 9 buses, Nizhankovychi checkpoint – 80 cars and 1 bus, Ugrinov checkpoint – 75 cars and 9 buses, Yagodin checkpoint – 30 buses (passage of passenger cars is temporarily suspended).
Forty passenger cars and two buses were waiting to cross the border with Slovakia at the Uzhgorod checkpoint, and 30 cars were waiting at the Maly Berezny checkpoint.
At the border with Hungary, the longest queues were at the Luzhanka and Dzvinovo checkpoints, with 50 and 45 cars, respectively. There were 30 cars at the Kosino and Vilok checkpoints and 5 at the Tisa checkpoint.
The total number of border crossings this week is slightly lower than last year. At that time, 294,000 people left Ukraine and 290,000 entered the country over the same 7 days, although the flow of cars was lower – 134,000.
Last year, a 28.1% jump in passenger traffic was recorded this week, and the following week it increased by another 12.5%.
As reported, from May 10, 2022, the outflow of refugees from Ukraine, which began with the start of the war, was replaced by an influx that continued until September 23, 2022, and amounted to 409,000 people. However, since the end of September, possibly influenced by news of mobilization in Russia and “pseudo-referendums” in the occupied territories, followed by massive shelling of energy infrastructure, the number of people leaving has exceeded the number of people entering. In total, from the end of September 2022 to the first anniversary of the full-scale war, it reached 223,000 people.
During the second year of full-scale war, the number of border crossings to leave Ukraine, according to the State Border Service, exceeded the number of crossings to enter by 25,000, during the third year by 187,000, and since the beginning of the fourth year by 203,000.
As Sergei Sobolev, then Deputy Minister of Economy, noted in early March 2023, the return of every 100,000 Ukrainians home results in a 0.5% increase in GDP.
In its July inflation report, the National Bank worsened its migration forecast: while in April it expected a net inflow of 0.2 million people to Ukraine in 2026, it now forecasts a net outflow of 0.2 million, which corresponds to the estimate of the net outflow this year. “Net return will only begin in 2027 (about 0.1 million people, compared to 0.5 million in the previous forecast),” the NBU added and confirmed this forecast at the end of October. In absolute terms, the National Bank estimates the number of migrants currently remaining abroad at about 5.8 million.
According to updated UNHCR data, the number of Ukrainian refugees in Europe as of December 11, 2025, was estimated at 5.311 million (5.331 million as of November 14), and 5.860 million (5.850 million) worldwide.
In Ukraine itself, according to the latest UN data for July this year, there are 3.340 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), compared to 3.757 million in April.
