Initial registrations of new and used buses (including minibuses) in Ukraine in September 2026 rose by 39% compared to the same month in 2025—to 324 units, according to a report by Ukravtoprom on its Telegram channel.
Compared to August of this year, the bus market grew by 21.8% (58 units).
According to the association, new vehicles accounted for 64% of registrations in September, compared to 58% last year.
Last month, among new buses, the most frequently registered were domestic models: Ataman—38 units (nearly three times more than in August 2026), ZAZ—37 units (12% fewer), and Etalon—20 units (38% fewer).
Among used buses, the top three were Mercedes-Benz—59 units, Volkswagen—15 units, and Iveco—7 units.
In total, from January through September 2026, Ukraine’s bus fleet grew by 1,716 buses (+4% compared to the same period in 2025), including 731 new buses (-9%) and 985 used buses (+15%).
Meanwhile, the information and analytical group Auto-Consulting also reported a record number of new buses delivered to customers in September—the highest in the last 10 years.
“Another point is that most of these buses are school models purchased by local communities using partial funding from the state budget. This made it possible to deliver nearly 200 new buses in September alone, which is 64% more than last year,” according to a statement on the group’s website.
Over the first nine months, the new bus market grew by 2.6%.
Experts believe that this year’s anomaly in bus deliveries in September is linked to the financing of these purchases, which is why the bulk of deliveries occurred not at the start of the school year, but specifically during the first month of classes.
In fact, government purchases of school buses from four Ukrainian manufacturers accounted for 80% of the market.
As previously reported, the state budget allocated a subsidy of 2 billion UAH this year for the implementation of the “School Bus” program.
According to “Ukravtoprom,” Ukraine’s bus fleet grew by 2,040 buses in 2025 (+8% compared to the same period in 2025). Of these: 939 were new (+0.4%); 1,101 were used (+16%).
European Union countries and the United Kingdom remain the top foreign economic priority for Ukrainians: in August 2026, 69.9% of respondents noted the need to prioritize the development of trade and economic relations with these countries. This is evidenced by the results of the third wave of the study “Ukrainians’ Attitudes Toward Countries Around the World,” conducted by Active Group in collaboration with the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
At the same time, support for the European direction has declined compared to previous waves of the study. In August 2025, 82.8% of respondents cited EU countries and the United Kingdom; in March 2026, 81.1%; and in August, 69.9%. Thus, over the course of a year, the figure decreased by 12.9 percentage points.
The trend regarding the United States is even more pronounced. In August 2025, 58.8% of respondents supported prioritizing the development of trade and economic relations with the United States; in March 2026, this figure was 59.2%, while in August it stood at 11.9%.
In August 2026, 8.4% of respondents named China as a priority, compared to 35.4% in March and 26.7% in August of the previous year. At the same time, China remains one of Ukraine’s most important trading partners, highlighting the discrepancy between the actual structure of foreign trade and public perceptions of the desired directions for its development.
Another 5.5% of those surveyed in August advocated for prioritizing the deepening of economic relations with countries in Southeast Asia—Japan, South Korea, and other nations in the region. In March, this figure stood at 49%, and a year earlier—at 21%. Countries in the Arab and Muslim world were cited by 3.5% of respondents, compared to 29.8% in March, while African and South American countries were cited by 0.8%, compared to 19.6%.
Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center, emphasized the need for more active communication between international partners and Ukrainian society.
“We need to regularly showcase concrete achievements and specific actions. Openness toward the media and the public helps strengthen relations, particularly trade relations,” Urakin noted.
According to him, sociological surveys can serve as a practical tool for government agencies, diplomatic missions, and the business community in determining the direction of bilateral relations.
Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research firm Active Group, also highlighted the need to strengthen the economic component of international cooperation.
“We need to do more than just raise general awareness. Businesses and government agencies need to work more actively on developing bilateral relations,” Pozniy noted.
The survey was conducted in August 2026 using self-administered online questionnaires via the SunFlowerSociology panel. A total of 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older were surveyed. The sample is representative by age, gender, and region; the stated maximum theoretical margin of error is ±3.5 percentage points. Previous waves of the survey were conducted in August 2025 and March 2026.
ACTIVE GROUP, CHINA, EUROPEAN UNION, EXPERTS CLUB, FOREIGN TRADE, international relations, SOCIOLOGY, UKRAINE, UNITED KINGDOM, UNITED STATES
JSC “Barsky Machine-Building Plant” (“Barmash,” Bar, Vinnytsia Oblast), a major Ukrainian manufacturer of equipment for the food industry, as well as gas and electric boilers, plans to allocate its 2025 net profit of 5.59 million UAH toward business operations.
According to the published draft resolution of the company’s general meeting of shareholders, scheduled for November 5, there are no plans to pay dividends.
In previous years, the plant also allocated its net profit to business operations.
According to data from YouControl, the company is owned by the Luk family through Ligaterm LLC; the ultimate beneficiaries are Barmash CEO Gennadiy Luk and his father, Ilya Luk.
The main areas of activity for the companies in the Luk family group include the production and sale of industrial equipment for various sectors (“Barmash,” “Ligaterm”), agriculture (Agricultural LLC “Mateykivinvestagro”), the production of bottled mineral water (POP “Ukraine”), and trade (LLC “Altair”).
Shareholders also plan to approve the reports of the management and supervisory board for the past year, as well as the financial results.
Barsky Machine-Building Plant manufactures, among other things, equipment for the spirits, wine, oil and fat, canning, confectionery, and baking industries; since 2001, it has also produced gas, electric, and solid-fuel heating boilers under the “TermoBar” trademark. It exports 20–30% of its products.
According to YouControl, in 2025 the company’s net profit decreased by 8.4% compared to 2024—to 5.6 million UAH—while net revenue fell by 14.3% to 99.3 million UAH.
Retained earnings as of the beginning of the current year amounted to 5.43 million UAH.
European Union countries remain in first place in terms of the share of responses from Ukrainians to the question of who contributes most to achieving peace in Ukraine. In August 2026, 44.6% of respondents named EU countries, 25.2% named the U.S., and 23.3% named the United Kingdom. This is evidenced by the results of the third wave of a survey on Ukrainians’ attitudes toward countries around the world, conducted by Active Group in collaboration with Experts Club, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
Compared to March 2026, the ratings have changed significantly. In the spring, 63.4% of respondents named EU countries in this context, 53.8% named the United Kingdom, and 29.6% named the United States. In August, the figures for the EU and the United Kingdom fell by 18.8 and 30.5 percentage points, respectively, while the figure for the United States changed much less—by 4.4 percentage points.
At the same time, compared to August 2025, the share of respondents who named EU countries increased slightly—from 42% to 44.6%. The figure for the U.S. was 25.8% at that time, and for the UK, 12.8%. Thus, the trend in assessments of the UK remains the most dramatic: 12.8% in August 2025, 53.8% in March 2026, and 23.3% in August of this year.
Perceptions of the role of other major powers remain significantly lower. In August 2026, 4.1% of respondents cited China, compared to 3.5% in March and 1.3% a year earlier. The figure for India was 1.8%, and for Brazil, 1%.
Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research firm Active Group, emphasized that public perceptions of countries should be considered alongside the level of awareness and the actual development of bilateral relations.
“We need to do more than just raise general awareness. First and foremost, business associations, the Ministry of Economy, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must work to develop bilateral relations and improve the balance. Given that Ukraine already lacks funding and we are essentially living off foreign loans, we need to expand cooperation with countries where we can achieve a positive balance,” Pozniy noted.
The survey was conducted in August 2026 using self-administered online questionnaires on the SunFlowerSociology panel. It involved 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older. According to the organizers, the sample is representative in terms of age, gender, and region, and the stated maximum theoretical statistical margin of error is ±3.5 percentage points. This is the third wave of the study, following surveys conducted in August 2025 and March 2026.
ACTIVE GROUP, EUROPEAN UNION, EXPERTS CLUB, international relations, SOCIOLOGY, UKRAINE, UNITED KINGDOM, UNITED STATES, WORLD
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has proposed imposing a fee of $70,000 for an international student’s initial participation in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program and an additional $30,000 for subsequent extensions, including those for STEM graduates.
The corresponding draft rule from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was published on October 8, 2026, in the Federal Register. This decision has not yet taken effect: the document is currently open for public comment, with comments accepted until November 9.
The OPT program allows international students with an F-1 visa to temporarily work in the U.S. in their field of study during or after their studies. Typically, graduates can work under OPT for up to 12 months, and an additional extension is available for STEM fields.
Under the new scheme proposed by DHS, a certified college or university would be required to pay the fee before the institution submits an OPT recommendation to the SEVIS system. Without confirmation of payment of the new fee, a student will not be able to obtain a work authorization.
If the rule is approved as currently proposed, the cost of accessing OPT will increase tenfold. Currently, obtaining a work permit costs approximately a few hundred dollars, whereas the proposed model calls for $70,000 for the initial recommendation and an additional $30,000 for each subsequent one.
DHS justifies the reform by citing the need to combat fraud and abuse in the OPT program, as well as to protect the U.S. labor market. In the draft rule, the agency refers to cases of fictitious employment of international graduates and potential violations in the program identified by ICE.
Reuters notes that OPT is one of the key pathways through which international graduates of U.S. universities gain their first work experience in the U.S. and then often transition to H-1B work visas. Therefore, the introduction of such a high fee could significantly reduce the number of graduates who remain to work in the country after completing their studies.
At the same time, the group potentially affected is very large. According to Open Doors 2025, there were 1.178 million international students at U.S. colleges and universities during the 2024–25 academic year, accounting for about 6% of all U.S. higher education students. Of these, 294,300 participated in OPT, with the number of program participants rising by 21% over the course of the year.
The largest numbers of international students come to the U.S. from India (363,000), China (266,000), South Korea (42,300), Canada (29,900), and Vietnam (25,600).
There are significantly fewer Ukrainian students at U.S. universities, but their numbers are growing. According to Open Doors 2025, 2,346 students from Ukraine were studying or participating in OPT in the U.S. during the 2024–25 academic year, which is 7.5% more than the previous year.
By comparison, there were 2,183 Ukrainian students in the U.S. during the 2023–24 academic year. At that time, about 55% of them were enrolled in bachelor’s programs, 26% in master’s and doctoral programs, 14% were participating in OPT, and another 5% were in non-degree programs.
Thus, if the composition of the Ukrainian student population remains roughly the same, the new fees could affect several hundred Ukrainians who plan to stay in the U.S. for professional practice after graduating from American universities. However, Open Doors does not provide the exact number of Ukrainians specifically on OPT in the 2024–25 academic year in its publicly available summary statistics.
Overall, the Ukrainian community in the U.S. is significantly larger than the student population. According to an estimate by the Migration Policy Institute based on the American Community Survey, more than 510,000 immigrants born in Ukraine were living in the U.S. in 2024, and the entire Ukrainian diaspora, including people of Ukrainian descent, was estimated at approximately 1.4 million people.
Critics of the proposal warn that the new fee could make U.S. universities less attractive to international applicants and redirect some students to the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and EU countries. The Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration has already stated that such a high financial barrier could seriously disrupt the existing system for attracting foreign graduates to the U.S. labor market.
However, the initiative’s final fate remains uncertain. After the public comment period ends, DHS may amend the proposal, drop some provisions, or adopt the final rule. Additionally, Reuters notes that the new restrictions are likely to face legal challenges.
The Kyiv Business Center has begun operations in the Ukrainian capital, with the aim of ensuring a permanent presence of British companies in the country and deepening industrial ties between the two nations, according to the UK government’s press service.
The hub was established through close collaboration between the National Armaments Director (NAD) Group, industrial partners, and the UK financial sector as part of the “100-Year Partnership” initiative.
“The KBC provides British companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with a base from which they can build trusting relationships with Ukrainian partners, obtain information on the situation on the battlefield, and pursue opportunities for joint development, co-production, and investment,” the statement reads.
It is noted that, until now, the cost, security requirements, and administrative complexity of doing business in Ukraine have made it difficult for small firms to establish a presence in the country.
Luke Pollard, Minister for Defense Readiness and Industry, commenting on the center’s opening, stated that KBC will help unlock new opportunities for investment, growth, and long-term recovery.
“By supporting British companies in Kyiv, we are deepening our ‘100-year partnership’ and turning our shared determination into shared innovation,” he emphasized.
The KBC’s operating model is based on three principles: industry, innovation, and investment, providing members with access to a networking platform that helps forge partnerships, attract investment, and expand production and capacity.
National Director of Armaments Rupert Pierce met with leading industry representatives and small and medium-sized businesses to mark the launch of the center, which brings together British and Ukrainian industry.
“This new facility is not just a center; it is a permanent channel that transforms the UK’s ability to collaborate fruitfully with our Ukrainian partners, both now and in the long term. Until now, costs, security concerns, and other restrictions caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion have made it difficult for companies—especially small ones—to operate in Ukraine. Our previous trade missions successfully addressed some of these challenges—this center removes these barriers by providing British companies with a permanent presence in Kyiv, opening up real opportunities for innovation, investment, and exports,” he emphasized.
The center’s operating model builds on more than 40 existing major industrial partnerships between the United Kingdom and Ukraine, as well as on the success of the UK Ministry of Defense’s trade missions to Ukraine. KBC also supports Ukrainian companies seeking British industrial partners or establishing subsidiaries in the United Kingdom.
