“Nova Poshta,” Ukraine’s leading express delivery service and part of the Nova Group, increased its net profit 1.7-fold in January–September compared to the same period in 2025, reaching 2.6286 billion UAH.
According to its interim condensed financial report, its revenue for the first nine months of this year rose by 32.5% compared to the same period last year—to 50.2626 billion UAH.
At the same time, following the escalation of Russian shelling in the third quarter of this year, Nova Poshta recorded a net loss of 80.27 million UAH, compared to a profit of 348.45 million UAH for the same period last year.
Revenue for July–September 2026 increased by 33.8% compared to the same period in 2025, reaching 17.7735 billion UAH.
The company’s gross profit for the first nine months of this year rose by 13.6% to 8.8006 billion UAH, while operating profit fell by 10.6% to 3.0981 billion UAH.
A 6.3% increase in gross profit was also recorded in the third quarter of this year—to 2 billion 756.9 million UAH—while operating profit decreased by 37.7%—to 711.37 million UAH.
According to the report, Nova Poshta’s equity as of September 30 of this year stood at 11.7648 billion UAH, compared to 13.3624 billion UAH at the beginning of the year.
The company also reported that from January through September of this year, it delivered 379 million shipments, including 25 million international ones, compared to 522 million for the entire previous year, of which 29 million were international.
The report specifies that over the first nine months of this year, 2,300 new branches were opened and 6,800 parcel lockers were installed. As of the end of September, the network comprised 17,300 branches and 39,700 parcel lockers, compared to 15,400 and 34,100 at the beginning of the year.
It is noted that “Nova Poshta” branches and parcel lockers operate in more than 10,000 settlements across Ukraine.
As for the NOVA Group’s capital investments in Ukraine, they totaled over 2.9 billion UAH from January through September of this year, with 1.2 billion UAH allocated to expanding and maintaining logistics capabilities, 680 million UAH to developing the network of branches and parcel lockers, and 531 million UAH toward upgrading the vehicle fleet and BDF containers.
The company noted that last year, the NOVA Group’s capital investments in Ukraine totaled more than 4 billion UAH.
“Despite constant shelling and attacks on logistics infrastructure, the company continues to work to maintain fast delivery speeds and ensure uninterrupted service for customers throughout Ukraine,” Nova Poshta emphasized in its report.
It added that in the first nine months of 2026, it also transported over 37,000 metric tons of humanitarian cargo, and during this period allocated nearly 1.3 billion hryvnias to social and charitable initiatives, of which 28.12 million UAH went toward supporting the military and funding the “Humanitarian Nova Poshta” program, and another 469.31 million UAH went toward payments to mobilized employees.
The average number of “Nova Poshta” employees from January through September 2026 was 29,300, whereas in 2025 this figure stood at 27,600; the number of employees as of the end of September this year was 35,200, compared to 32,000 last year.
As previously reported, in the first half of 2026, “Nova Poshta” increased its consolidated net profit by 24.3% compared to the same period in 2025—to 2.195 billion UAH—and its revenue by 31.8%, to 39.127 billion UAH.
Its gross profit rose by 19.9% compared to the same period last year—to 8.474 billion UAH—and operating profit increased by 29.5%, to 4.633 billion UAH.
According to the Serbian business media outlet Parametar, the European development company CTP has announced the start of construction on the large-scale CTPark Belgrade Borča complex in the Borča district of Belgrade.
Key project details:
Site area: 40 hectares.
Total planned area of industrial and warehouse facilities: 222,700 square meters.
Number of buildings: 15.
Distance to the center of Belgrade: approximately 10 km.
Upon completion of construction, the facility is set to become Serbia’s largest industrial and logistics park.
The first major tenant has already been secured. MD International, a subsidiary of the Hungarian logistics group Waberer’s, has signed a lease for 10,000 square meters of space, with the option to expand to 20,000 square meters.
The company is scheduled to begin operations at the new complex in the first quarter of 2027.
The park will cater not only to large international companies but also to small and medium-sized businesses. Facilities of various sizes are planned—ranging from a few hundred to tens of thousands of square meters.
The expansion of warehouse and industrial infrastructure strengthens Belgrade’s position as a transportation and logistics hub in the Balkans. The new facilities can be used for distribution, e-commerce, and manufacturing.
CTP already manages several industrial parks in Serbia, including facilities in Belgrade and Novi Sad.
Global grain production in 2026 could reach one of the highest levels on record, but international trade is declining due to logistical restrictions, particularly shipping problems in the Black Sea. Ensuring global food security depends not only on the volume of production but also on the ability to transport products to consumers on time and at an affordable price, SEEDS reports, citing an analysis by international expert Kateryna Zvierieva.
According to the latest estimates by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), global grain production in 2026 is forecast at 2.979 billion tonnes. This is the second-highest figure on record. At the same time, the volume of international grain trade is projected to decrease by 3.5% to 505.8 million tonnes.
Among the main factors behind the decline in trade, FAO identifies shipping difficulties in the Black Sea and insufficient capacity of alternative transport corridors. As a result, even with high production volumes, certain regions may face supply disruptions and rising costs of imported food.
As Kateryna Zvierieva, an international expert in strategic communications in the agri-food sector, sustainable development and food systems, notes in an article for the Italian publication Agricultura.it, risks to food security are not necessarily associated with a physical shortage of grain. The availability of transport routes, delivery speed and logistics costs play a significant role.
The situation in Ukraine is particularly illustrative in this context, as grain exports remain dependent on security conditions, the operation of port infrastructure and the capacity of alternative routes.
According to the State Customs Service of Ukraine, as of October 16, the country had exported 5.929 million tonnes of grain and leguminous crops since the beginning of the 2026/27 marketing year. This is 24.9% less than during the corresponding period of the previous season.
At the same time, export trends for individual crops differ significantly. In particular, wheat shipments decreased by 40.5%, while corn exports increased by approximately 80%. This difference indicates that logistical and market factors have varying effects on individual segments of the grain market.
The structure of transport routes has also changed. According to the European Commission, in September 2026, about 90% of Ukrainian exports of grain, oilseeds and related products were transported through the Solidarity Lanes between Ukraine and the EU. Meanwhile, approximately 10% of shipments passed through Black Sea ports.
Rail, road and river transport make it possible to maintain exports even under restrictions on maritime logistics. However, their capacity remains an important factor determining the volumes, delivery times and costs of agricultural product shipments.
Logistical difficulties also affect global food prices. According to FAO, the Food Price Index rose by 1.5% in September compared with August and by 5.8% year-on-year. Meanwhile, the cereal price sub-index increased by 5.1% over the month and by 17.2% compared with September 2025.
In particular, global wheat prices rose by 6.3% during the month. Among the reasons cited are restrictions on transport connections in the Black Sea region and dry weather conditions in certain areas of North America. Corn became 5.6% more expensive amid expectations regarding yields in the United States and a reduction in export supplies from Brazil.
According to Zvierieva, delays in transporting products create risks not only for international trade but also for the financial stability of agricultural enterprises. Longer delivery times and higher transport costs affect farmers’ working capital, their ability to finance current operations and investments in subsequent production cycles.
At the same time, high global harvests and declining trade do not automatically mean the emergence of a global food crisis. However, the current situation demonstrates the dependence of food markets on transport infrastructure and the stability of international supply chains.
Thus, ensuring global food security increasingly depends on countries’ ability to maintain stable logistics routes, diversify transport corridors and reduce food delivery costs.
Kateryna Zvierieva is an international expert in strategic communications in the agri-food sector, sustainable development and food systems. She has collaborated with FAO and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). She is the founder of Sapienza.media.
Agricultural exports, FAO, FOOD SECURITY, GLOBAL MARKETS, GRAINS, KATERYNA ZVIERIEVA, LOGISTICS, UKRAINE
The Ukrainian market has potential for logistics, which is why Meest China is investing in new logistics facilities, said Meest China co-owner Vyacheslav Lysenko at the 12th Kyiv International Economic Forum (KIEF) “People. Business. Economy. What’s Next?” in Kyiv this week, according to an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent.
“The figure of 2.5 million square meters of destroyed warehouses means that, unfortunately, there is once again room for investment. For example, we are currently completing the construction of warehouses, and many other companies are building as well. But these are new warehouses, new approaches. Previously, a Category ‘A’ warehouse was considered a very high standard; now, Category A is a must-have,” he said.
Lysenko told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency that the company’s new 25,000-square-meter logistics facility will be launched by the end of the year in the Lviv region; the company has invested approximately $30 million in the project.
According to him, logistics as a whole will undergo radical changes, as exemplified by the proliferation of parcel lockers. “There are many new technologies that we haven’t seen in Ukraine yet; they will emerge here as a new level of logistics, a new generation. And this will be interesting because it will change the market. And this is still ahead of us,” he said.
Lysenko also spoke about the company’s current social programs designed to support employees’ mental well-being. In particular, the company has rented hotels for the four coldest months of the year, where employees can go with their families to “get some rest.” “It’s expensive, yes, but it significantly boosts their productivity. Many other companies have started doing the same after us,” he said.
Meest China is part of the Meest holding company, has been operating in the international postal and logistics services market since 2014, and is currently the leader in deliveries from China to Ukraine. The company specializes in delivering goods as duty-free postal shipments for personal use, as well as commercial cargo for business clients. It has offices and warehouses in China and Ukraine. Currently, the company delivers cargo from China to approximately 30 countries worldwide, from South Korea and Japan to Ukraine, and also provides freight services for worldwide delivery.
Air raid alerts, shelling, and energy restrictions have led to a deterioration in operational performance across the Ukrzaliznytsia network; as a result, the average freight car turnaround time from January through August of this year increased by 32.8% compared to the same period in 2025—to 8.4 days— and in September—by 42.9%, to 12.3 days, according to Valery Tkachov, deputy director of the Department of Transportation Technology and Commercial Operations at JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia.”
“These figures are linked to air raid alerts, traffic restrictions on certain sections, and security factors,” he emphasized at the 8th International Conference on “Production, Operation, and Repair of Rolling Stock” in Kyiv, according to an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent.
According to him, as of now, the turnaround time for a half-car is 14.2 days, whereas in May and June, this figure was improved to 8.8 days from 10.6 days in January.
As for the turnaround time for tank cars, it stands at 19.5 days; for cement cars, 15.1 days; and for grain cars, 22.8 days.
The average technical speed of railcars on the network over the first eight months of this year was 44 km/h, which is 4.3% lower than during the same period last year, and in September it dropped to 41.8 km/h.
The section speed for January–August of this year was 10.9% lower than the corresponding figure for January–August of last year—38.4 km/h—and in September it dropped to 33.6 km/h.
The average train weight for January–August 2026 decreased by 3.3%—to 2,941 metric tons—and in September, it fell to 2,852 metric tons compared to September 2025.
Tkachov noted that the number of alarms increased by 92.5%—to 2,688.
“Ukrzaliznytsia has a clear action plan for how to survive, given that our revenues have fallen significantly, while expenses, unfortunately, remain roughly the same,” added the deputy director of the Department of Transportation Technology and Commercial Operations at JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia.”
He also noted that shippers must submit their transportation plans for November by October 23. Starting next month, “Ukrzaliznytsia” will revert to the plan-approval procedure used in 2022–2023, as the number of loaded railcars on the network heading toward western border crossings has reached nearly 20,000 units.
As previously reported, freight volumes transported by JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia” from January through September 2026 totaled 106.39 million metric tons, which is 11.8% less than during the same period in 2025; in September, the decline reached 38%.
FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION, LOGISTICS, railcar, RAILROAD, UKRZALIZNYTSIA
In the first quarter of fiscal year 2027 (FY, July 2026–June 2027) processed 564,000 metric tons of oilseeds, a 1% increase compared to the first quarter of FY 2026, while oil sales volume fell by 48% compared to the same quarter of the previous fiscal year, to 165,000 metric tons.
“Although oilseed processing volumes remained generally stable compared to last year, sales figures were significantly impacted by disruptions in port logistics: for most of the quarter, shipments through Black Sea ports were effectively blocked,” the company stated in a stock exchange announcement on Friday.
“Kernel” clarified that, compared to the previous quarter, processing volumes decreased by 13% due to scheduled maintenance work that lasted one month, while oil sales fell by 52%. Sunflower seeds accounted for 59% of total processing volume, while soybeans and rapeseed made up the remainder, which helped maintain overall capacity utilization.
Of the total volume of products sold, 16,000 metric tons were packaged sunflower oil.
According to the press release, the volume of grain and oilseed crops received at Kernel’s elevators in the first quarter of FY 2027 totaled 969,000 metric tons, which is 21% less than in the same period last year and is attributed to a slower pace of corn harvesting on the group’s farms.
Kernel’s grain exports from Ukraine in the first quarter of fiscal year 2027 totaled 574,000 metric tons, down 54% compared to the same period last year and 71% lower than the previous quarter, the report states.
“Export operations were significantly restricted due to disruptions in maritime logistics caused by Russian attacks on Ukraine’s port infrastructure and commercial vessels. In response, the Group rerouted part of its export flows through ports on the Danube and Ukraine’s western land borders,” Kernel noted.
At the same time, the company clarified that, given the lower throughput capacity and higher logistics costs, these routes were only able to partially offset the losses in exports through Black Sea ports.
It is noted that the performance of export terminals was similarly affected: in the first quarter of 2027, transshipment volume totaled 742,000 metric tons, which is 59% less than in the same period last year and 73% less than in the previous quarter. Operations at Kernel’s port facilities, which were damaged during the attacks in July, were suspended, while general disruptions to shipping through Ukraine’s deep-water Black Sea ports further limited throughput capacity. Restoration work continued throughout the reporting period, but frequent and prolonged air raid alerts repeatedly interrupted the repair process, the statement said.
Before the war, the Kernel agricultural holding was the world’s leading producer of sunflower oil (accounting for about 7% of global production) and its exporter (about 12%). It is one of the largest producers and sellers of bottled oil in Ukraine. In addition, it is engaged in the cultivation and sale of agricultural products.
Based on its 2026 financial results (July 2025–June 2026), Kernel increased its EBITDA by 20% to $558 million and its net profit by 35% to $322 million, with revenue growing by 7% to $4.404 billion.
