Kyiv, based on the results of the first nine months of 2026, showed the largest negative balance in Ukraine between companies that registered in the capital after changing their region and those that legally left it. The capital’s net balance was minus 559 companies, according to an analysis by Experts Club based on OpenDataBot statistics.
The second-largest negative result was recorded in the Dnipropetrovsk region—minus 378 companies. In the Odesa region, the balance was minus 84; in the Poltava region, minus 66; and in the Volyn region, minus 65.
In total, 17 regions had a negative balance of legal relocations.
At the same time, in eight regions, the number of companies that changed their registration to that region exceeded the number of those that left it. The largest net gain was recorded in the Sumy region—a net gain of 412 companies. The Kharkiv region saw a net gain of 406 companies, the Zaporizhzhia region—401, the Lviv region—161, and the Kherson region—109.
Chernihiv Oblast also had a positive balance—a net increase of 34 companies—as did Zakarpattia Oblast (27) and Chernivtsi Oblast (8).
The most popular single route remained Kyiv to Kyiv Oblast: 468 companies changed their registered address from the capital to the oblast. At the same time, 350 companies moved their registration in the opposite direction.
Another 340 companies re-registered from Kyiv to the Zaporizhzhia region, and 331 to the Kharkiv region. From the Dnipropetrovsk region, 322 companies moved their registered address to the capital.
According to analysts at Experts Club, the significant positive balance in frontline and war-affected regions should be interpreted with particular caution. Since these figures refer to registered addresses, such statistics do not in themselves indicate a relocation of production facilities, offices, or the majority of employees to those areas.
Source: OpenDataBot
Sweden remains among the countries with the highest level of positive perception among Ukrainians: in August 2026, 71.4% of respondents expressed a positive attitude toward it, while only 0.8% expressed a negative one. Compared to March, the share of positive assessments decreased slightly, but negative attitudes also declined, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
According to the results of the August survey, 31.9% of Ukrainians have a completely positive attitude toward Sweden, and 39.5% have a mostly positive attitude. A neutral stance is held by 26.2% of respondents. Only 0.8% view the country mostly negatively; no entirely negative assessments were recorded in the survey, and another 1.6% were undecided.
The balance between positive and negative assessments stands at plus 70.6 percentage points. By this measure, Sweden ranks among the highest of all countries included in the study. Positive attitudes outnumber negative ones by nearly 90 to 1.
In March 2026, 72.5% of respondents viewed Sweden positively: 35% viewed it entirely positively and 37.5% viewed it mostly positively. At that time, 24.7% of respondents held a neutral stance, while negative attitudes accounted for about 1.2%.
Thus, over the course of five months, the share of positive assessments decreased by only 1.1 percentage points—from 72.5% to 71.4%. Negative responses decreased by 0.4 percentage points, while the neutral segment increased by 1.5 percentage points—from 24.7% to 26.2%. The balance between positive and negative attitudes remained virtually unchanged—from approximately plus 71.3 to plus 70.6 percentage points.
At the same time, there was a certain redistribution within the positive segment. The share of fully positive assessments decreased from 35% to 31.9%, while the share of mostly positive assessments rose from 37.5% to 39.5%. This indicates a moderate decline in the intensity of positive attitudes rather than a deterioration in the country’s overall image.
Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research firm Active Group, commented on the previous wave of the survey by highlighting the stability of Ukrainians’ attitudes toward Sweden.
“Sweden remains a country with a very high level of trust among Ukrainians, and this is evident from the structure of the responses. At the same time, we are observing a certain increase in the share of neutral assessments, which indicates not a change in attitude but a decrease in its intensity. This is a typical effect for countries that are not constantly in the spotlight,” Pozniy noted.
The new results effectively confirm this trend. The proportion of neutral responses continued to rise moderately, but this was not accompanied by an increase in negative attitudes. Sweden remains one of the countries with the most consistently positive image in Ukrainian society.
The previous wave of the survey was conducted in March 2026 among 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older using self-administered online questionnaires in the SunFlowerSociology panel. The sample was representative by age, gender, and region; the maximum theoretical margin of error for indicators at the 50% confidence level was ±3.5 percentage points.
ACTIVE GROUP, EXPERTS CLUB, international relations, NORTHERN EUROPE, Pozniy, PUBLIC OPINION, SOCIOLOGY, SWEDEN, UKRAINE
The combined revenue of the ten largest companies that changed their region of legal address in 2026 totaled approximately 44.1 billion UAH over two quarters, according to Experts Club’s calculations based on data from OpenDataBot.
The largest among them was Parallel-M Ltd., which imports and sells fuel and operates the Parallel gas station chain. Its revenue for the first two quarters of 2026 totaled 9.18 billion UAH. The company changed its registered address from Zaporizhzhia Oblast to Poltava Oblast.
Second place went to the Pokrovske Mining Administration, with revenue of 6.31 billion hryvnias, which re-registered from the Donetsk region to the Zaporizhzhia region.
In third place is “Podorozhnik Kyiv” with revenue of 5.22 billion UAH. The company, affiliated with the “Podorozhnik” pharmacy chain, changed its region of registration from Lviv Oblast to Kharkiv Oblast.
The combined revenue of the three largest companies totaled 20.71 billion UAH, or about 47% of the total revenue of the top ten.
The top 10 also included “Galychyna-Tabak” with revenue of 4.26 billion UAH, “STV Center” with 4.12 billion UAH, “Interbusiness” with 3.92 billion UAH, “Arion Trade” with 3.83 billion UAH, “Mars Ukraine” with 2.84 billion UAH, “Sovtrading-L” with 2.28 billion UAH, and “SK Energy Group” with 2.13 billion UAH.
The latter company was the most active in terms of the number of changes to its legal address among large businesses: over the course of three quarters, it re-registered four times between Kyiv and the Kharkiv region.
Experts Club notes that the presence of companies with revenues in the billions in the statistics shows that changing one’s legal location remains relevant not only for small and medium-sized businesses but also for large enterprises in the fuel, mining, pharmaceutical, retail, and other sectors.
However, a change of region in the Unified State Register does not necessarily mean an actual relocation of the company’s main assets or production facilities.
Source: OpenDataBot
BUSINESS, COMPANY, EXPERTS CLUB, RANKING, RELOCATION, REVENUE, UKRAINE
Ukrainians’ attitudes toward Belgium in August 2026 improved slightly compared to the previous survey wave: 59.8% of respondents view the country positively, while only 1.4% view it negatively. At the same time, more than a third of those surveyed—36%—remain neutral, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
According to the results of the August survey, 21.1% of Ukrainians view Belgium entirely positively, and 38.7% view it mostly positively. A neutral attitude was expressed by 36% of respondents. Only 0.8% view the country mostly negatively, 0.6% view it entirely negatively, and another 2.7% were undecided.
According to the table, the balance of positive and negative assessments is +58.4 percentage points. Thus, Belgium remains among the Western European countries with a distinctly positive perception, and negative attitudes toward it are virtually marginal.
In March 2026, 58.7% of respondents viewed Belgium positively: 19.3% viewed it entirely positively and 39.4% viewed it mostly positively. 37.1% of respondents held a neutral view, 2.3% held a negative view, and another 1.9% were undecided.
Thus, over the course of five months, the share of positive assessments rose by 1.1 percentage points—from 58.7% to 59.8%—while negative assessments fell by 0.9 percentage points—from 2.3% to 1.4%. The neutral segment also decreased by 1.1 percentage points. The balance between positive and negative attitudes rose from approximately plus 56.4 to plus 58.4 percentage points.
At the same time, the internal structure of positive responses changed slightly. The share of fully positive assessments increased from 19.3% to 21.1%, while the share of mostly positive assessments decreased from 39.4% to 38.7%. This means that the overall improvement was modest, but a portion of respondents began to view Belgium more unequivocally positively.
Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research firm Active Group, previously noted that a significant proportion of neutral responses regarding Belgium is not linked to a negative perception but rather to the specific characteristics of the country’s established image.
“Belgium is perceived by Ukrainians as an important member of the European Union and NATO, a country that consistently supports Ukraine on the international stage. At the same time, its relative distance and the lack of deep historical ties account for the high proportion of neutral assessments,” Pozniy explained.
The new wave of the survey generally confirms this characterization. The positive segment is gradually expanding, negative assessments remain at a minimal level, yet more than a third of Ukrainians still hold a neutral position. This indicates significant potential for further shaping a more defined image of Belgium through economic, humanitarian, educational, and intercultural contacts.
The previous wave of the survey was conducted in March 2026 among 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older using self-administered online questionnaires on the SunFlowerSociology panel. The sample was representative by age, gender, and region; the maximum theoretical margin of error for indicators at the 50% confidence level was ±3.5 percentage points.
ACTIVE GROUP, BELGIUM, EUROPEAN UNION, EXPERTS CLUB, international relations, NATO, Pozniy, PUBLIC OPINION, SOCIOLOGY, UKRAINE
A neutral stance continues to dominate Ukrainians’ attitudes toward Egypt: in August 2026, 61.3% of respondents expressed this view. 28.1% of those surveyed view the country positively, while 6.9% view it negatively. Compared to March, the share of positive assessments has decreased, while the share of negative ones has increased, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
According to the results of the August survey, 7.2% of Ukrainians have a completely positive attitude toward Egypt, while 20.9% have a mostly positive attitude. A neutral stance is held by 61.3% of respondents. 6.3% view the country mostly negatively, 0.6% view it entirely negatively, and another 3.7% were undecided.
The balance of positive and negative assessments based on these indicators is +21.2 percentage points. Thus, positive attitudes toward Egypt are roughly four times more prevalent than negative ones; however, the high proportion of neutral responses remains the defining characteristic of how the country is perceived.
Compared to March 2026, attitudes have deteriorated slightly. In the previous survey wave, 10.5% of respondents rated Egypt entirely positively, and 21.9% rated it mostly positively—meaning the overall positive rating stood at 32.4%. 62.5% of respondents were neutral, and the share of negative ratings in the aggregated results was about 3.7%.
Thus, over the course of five months, the share of positive responses decreased by 4.3 percentage points—from 32.4% to 28.1%—while the share of negative responses increased by approximately 3.2 percentage points—to 6.9%. The share of neutral assessments changed only slightly—from 62.5% to 61.3%. The balance between positive and negative attitudes decreased from approximately plus 28.7 to plus 21.2 percentage points, respectively.
Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center and a candidate of economic sciences, believes that the case of Egypt clearly illustrates the difference between a country’s economic importance to Ukraine and the extent of its presence in the public consciousness.
“Egypt is a very important export market for Ukraine, primarily for agricultural and food products. At the same time, for most Ukrainians, this country remains more of a tourist destination than an economic partner. That is precisely why we see such a high proportion of neutral assessments: economic ties are significant, but they are not always visible to the general public,” Urakin noted.
According to him, the positive trade balance with Egypt makes this market particularly important for Ukraine amid a general foreign trade deficit.
“When a country provides Ukraine with a significant trade surplus, it is no longer a secondary partner. Such markets must be viewed strategically—in terms of maintaining exports, expanding the range of goods supplied, and fostering long-term economic ties. In the case of Egypt, the potential for this is obvious, but public perception has simply not yet caught up with the country’s actual economic role,” Urakin added.
Thus, Egypt demonstrates a noticeable gap between its economic significance and public perception. Despite the fact that the country is one of Ukraine’s most profitable trading partners in terms of the trade balance, over 60% of Ukrainians continue to view it neutrally. This indicates limited awareness and low emotional engagement rather than a negative attitude.
The survey was conducted in August 2026 using self-administered online questionnaires in the SunFlowerSociology panel among 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older. The previous wave also included 800 respondents; the sample was representative by age, gender, and region, with a maximum theoretical margin of error of ±3.5 percentage points for indicators at the 50% confidence level.
ACTIVE GROUP, EGYPT, EXPERTS CLUB, FOREIGN TRADE, international relations, NORTH AFRICA, PUBLIC OPINION, SOCIOLOGY, UKRAINE, URAKIN
Ukrainians’ positive attitude toward Bulgaria in August 2026 declined compared to the previous phase of the study: 42.7% of respondents view the country positively, down from 53.8% in March. At the same time, Ukrainians with a neutral attitude became the largest group—47.6%, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
According to the results of the August survey, 11% of Ukrainians have a completely positive attitude toward Bulgaria, while 31.7% have a mostly positive attitude. A neutral stance is held by 47.6% of respondents. A mostly negative attitude was expressed by 6.8%, a completely negative attitude by 0.6%, and another 2.3% were undecided.
Thus, the combined share of negative assessments is 7.4%, and the balance between positive and negative attitudes is +35.3 percentage points. Despite a decline in positive ratings, favorable assessments of Bulgaria are nearly six times higher than negative ones. At the same time, nearly one in two respondents expresses neither a positive nor a negative attitude toward the country.
Compared to March 2026, the changes are quite noticeable. In the previous survey, 14.2% of respondents viewed Bulgaria entirely positively, and another 39.6% viewed it predominantly positively. The overall positive rating stood at 53.8%, the neutral rating at 42.4%, while negative assessments accounted for only 2.3%.
Over the course of five months, the share of positive responses fell by 11.1 percentage points—from 53.8% to 42.7%. Negative attitudes increased by 5.1 percentage points—from 2.3% to 7.4%—while neutral attitudes rose by 5.2 percentage points to 47.6%. The balance of positive and negative assessments fell from approximately plus 51.5 percentage points in March to plus 35.3 percentage points in August.
At the same time, the “mostly positive” category saw the sharpest decline—from 39.6% to 31.7%—while the share of entirely positive responses fell from 14.2% to 11%. Thus, the deterioration in the indicators occurred simultaneously due to growth in both the neutral and negative segments.
Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center and a candidate of economic sciences, had previously drawn attention specifically to the significant share of uncertain or neutral perceptions of Bulgaria.
“This result indicates not so much indifference as the lack of an active Bulgarian presence in Ukraine’s information space,” Urakin noted. In his view, the problem lies not so much in an established negative image as in the country’s insufficient visibility to the Ukrainian audience. More active communication in the areas of economic, humanitarian, and other practical cooperation could help foster a more defined attitude.
The latest round of the survey partially confirms the validity of this assessment: the share of neutral respondents has once again approached half. At the same time, unlike in March, the share of negative responses has also increased, although it remains significantly lower than the share of positive responses.
The survey was conducted in August 2026 using self-administered online questionnaires from the SunFlowerSociology panel among 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older. The previous round of the survey in March also included 800 respondents; the sample was representative by age, gender, and region, with a maximum theoretical margin of error of ±3.5 percentage points for indicators at the 50% level.
ACTIVE GROUP, BULGARIA, CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE, EUROPEAN UNION, EXPERTS CLUB, international relations, PUBLIC OPINION, SOCIOLOGY, UKRAINE, URAKIN
