Oleksandr Sytaylo, mayor of Malyn in Zhytomyr Oblast, won the “Mayor of the Year (Small Towns)” award as part of the 30th anniversary nationwide “Person of the Year 2025” program.
Oleksandr Sytaylo was born on August 17, 1986, in the village of Ustynivka, Malyn District, Zhytomyr Oblast. In 2008, he graduated from the National University of State Tax Service of Ukraine with a degree in Finance.
He began his professional career in the banking sector, where he rose through the ranks from economist to deputy branch manager. He later worked in the private sector, notably at Lux.Net LLC, where he held positions ranging from economist to head of the sales department.
From 2017 to 2020, Sytaylo headed the “Ekoressurs” municipal enterprise of the Malyn City Council, overseeing municipal utilities.
He has been active in local government and civic and political life for over 15 years. He served as a member of the Malyn District and City Councils, and in 2020 was elected mayor of Malyn.
After the start of the full-scale invasion, the city government’s main priorities became ensuring the stable operation of the community’s life-support systems, restoring damaged housing and social infrastructure, and supporting the local economy.
A separate focus of the community’s work is attracting investment, developing local businesses, and fostering international cooperation. The Malyn community maintains partnerships with the cities of Bauska in Latvia and Billerbeck in Germany. This cooperation, in particular, helps attract humanitarian and technical aid for the community’s recovery.
As part of the “Person of the Year 2025” program, the organizers recognized Oleksandr Sytaylo’s work in the areas of local self-government, community recovery, infrastructure development, and international cooperation.
The 30th anniversary nationwide “Person of the Year” program traditionally honors representatives from government, business, science, culture, medicine, sports, and other fields.
Open4Business is an information partner of the nationwide “Person of the Year” program.
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Canada ranked first among countries with the highest net positive sentiment among Ukrainians—in August 2026, this figure stood at 73.8 percentage points. The top ten also included mainly countries from Northern and Western Europe, according to the results of the third wave of the study “Ukrainians’ Attitudes Toward Countries Around the World,” conducted by Active Group in collaboration with Experts Club, reports the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
Sweden took second place in terms of the balance of trust and distrust with a score of 70.6 percentage points, while the Netherlands came in third with 69.7 percentage points. Finland and Norway each scored 69.3 points, France scored 69.1 points, Italy scored 67.1 points, and Lithuania scored 65.9 points. Rounding out the top ten are Switzerland and the United Kingdom, which both scored 65.6 percentage points.
The sentiment score is calculated as the difference between the proportion of positive and negative ratings. Specifically, 76.3% of respondents view Canada positively, 2.5% negatively, and 19.2% neutrally. Thus, Canada’s high score is due not only to a significant proportion of favorable ratings but also to a minimal level of negative sentiment.
The survey results show that the top ten countries with the most favorable balance of attitudes consist almost entirely of countries in Northern and Western Europe, along with Canada. At the same time, the level of public favor does not always directly correspond to the scale of Ukraine’s trade and economic ties with a specific country. For example, China was Ukraine’s largest trading partner in the first half of 2026, yet it received the lowest balance of positive and negative assessments—minus 25.4 percentage points.
Maksym Urakin, founder of Experts Club, deputy director of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, and candidate of economic sciences, emphasized that studies of public perception should be considered alongside actual foreign trade indicators.
“That is why it is very important for us to analyze our main partners. We must be open to questions and inquiries from the media and the public,” Urakin noted. According to him, the results of sociological surveys can be used to assess international relations and their further development.
Alexander Pozniy, Director of Active Group, drew attention to the need to combine the creation of a positive image of countries with the practical development of bilateral economic ties.
“We should focus on developing more than just general awareness. We need to expand cooperation with countries where we can achieve a positive balance,” Pozniy noted. According to him, both government agencies and business associations should be involved in this process.
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. According to the organizers, the sample is representative in terms of age, gender, and region; the maximum theoretical statistical margin of error at a 95% confidence level is 3.5%. This is the third wave of the survey, following surveys conducted in August 2025 and March 2026.
ACTIVE GROUP, CANADA, EXPERTS CLUB, FINLAND, international relations, NORWAY, SOCIOLOGY, SWEDEN, THE NETHERLANDS, UKRAINE, URAKIN
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
