Ukrzaliznytsia has launched a new flagship train, the “Sakura,” which connects Kyiv and Uzhhorod and features new cars manufactured in Ukraine in 2026, according to a statement from the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development.
According to the Ministry’s press release on Tuesday, the new cars are equipped with security systems featuring surveillance cameras and include a number of passenger-friendly improvements: rechargeable batteries, additional amenities for traveling with children, inclusive design elements, and functional comfort features in the compartments.
The new flagship train departs on its maiden voyage from Kyiv to Uzhhorod today, April 28.
“In total, Japan has already provided Ukraine with over $15 billion in financial, humanitarian, and technical aid. “Within the framework of grant programs, we are coordinating four phases of emergency recovery totaling approximately $700 million and expect to sign the next phase for an additional $40 million,” Deputy Prime Minister for Recovery and Minister of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine Oleksii Kuleba is quoted as saying in the release.
It is noted that with JICA’s assistance, Ukraine received approximately 28,000 tons of rails manufactured by Nippon Steel and dozens of units of specialized equipment, which allowed for the renewal of about 200 km of tracks on key routes.
The Ministry of Development added that 12 train cars feature cherry blossom petal branding.
In addition, passengers on the train will have access to an online portal about Japanese culture, architecture, and art, and will also be able to explore elements of Japanese cuisine, board games, and joint Ukrainian-Japanese cultural projects.
As previously reported, Ukrzaliznytsia received the first six of 100 new passenger cars ordered in 2025 from PJSC Kryukiv Railway Car Building Works (KVBZ).
The total contract value is approximately 6.5 billion UAH, and funding is provided from the state budget.
Deliveries are expected to continue in phases until May 2028, and 60 such cars will be ready by the end of 2026.
The international medical conference Breast Weekend 3.0 took place in Uzhhorod, focusing on modern approaches in breast surgery—including aesthetic plastic surgery, reconstructive surgery, and breast oncology.
The conference was opened by Uzhhorod Mayor Bohdan Andriyiv, who emphasized the importance of such events for the development of the city and region as a modern medical and professional hub.
The conference brought together Ukrainian and international specialists and served as a platform for interdisciplinary discussion of modern treatment methods, recovery, and aesthetic outcomes in patient care.
According to the organizers, a key feature of the event is the combination of oncological, reconstructive, and aesthetic approaches, which aligns with current global practice.
“Today, breast cancer treatment is a team effort. Oncology, reconstructive, and aesthetic surgery cannot exist in isolation. It is their combination that allows us to achieve the best results for the patient—both medical and aesthetic,” said the conference’s main organizer and founder of the Lita Plus clinic, Serhiy Derbak.
This year, the conference featured international speakers from the Czech Republic, Germany, and Moldova, who traveled to Ukraine to exchange clinical experience and discuss modern approaches in breast surgery.
According to the organizers, the participation of European experts is a crucial component of the industry’s development, as it allows for the integration of Ukrainian experience into an international context and the formation of a shared professional environment.
The conference program devoted special attention to new trends in breast surgery. In particular, plastic surgeon Oleksandr Karpinsky presented the concept of “tissue preservation”—an approach that involves preserving tissues and utilizing natural anatomical structures during surgery.
“Today we are living in a period of changing philosophy in plastic surgery. The current trend is minimal trauma. We work with anatomy while preserving tissues, which allows us to significantly shorten the recovery period and at the same time achieve stable results. This is a new stage in the development of breast surgery,” — noted Karpinsky.
According to him, this approach is already actively used abroad in aesthetic surgery and will shape the development of the field in the coming years.
Uzhhorod Mayor Bohdan Andriyiv emphasized the importance of hosting international medical events for the region’s development.
“Hosting such conferences is a key factor in the development of the city and the region. It fosters a professional environment, attracts international partners, and shapes Uzhhorod’s image as a platform for medical advancement and professional exchange,” he noted.
The conference was held with the support of the Ukrainian Association of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Dermatological Aesthetic Surgery and Oncoplastic Mammology (UPRADAS) and included a charitable component—a portion of the proceeds was directed toward supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The organizers note that Breast Weekend 3.0 marked another step in building a professional community that advances modern approaches to breast surgery and interdisciplinary collaboration in Ukraine.
The restaurant holding company !Fest will open the first establishment of the “P’yana Vyshnya” chain in Transcarpathia. The bar will operate in the historic center of Uzhhorod, on Korzo Street, according to the chain’s PR director, Taras Maselko, as reported by the online publication Zaxid.net.
According to the company representative, the opening of the establishment with its signature Lviv cherry brandy is scheduled for January 30.
Mukachevo is being considered as the next city in the region where “P’yana Vyshnya” may appear.
The first P’yana Vyshnya establishment opened in Lviv on Rynok Square in 2015. Currently, the chain has more than 60 establishments in Ukraine and abroad, including in the United Kingdom, France, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Moldova.
The Fest holding company was founded in 2007. It develops a network of creative restaurants, cafes, and shops in Ukraine. Its owners are Andriy Khudo, Yuriy Nazaruk, and Dmytro Gerasimov.
In Uzhhorod, construction has begun on a new retail park on the Kyiv–Chop highway, with its opening scheduled for summer 2026, according to consulting company Retail & Development Advisor (RDA), which is the exclusive broker for the retail property.
“Construction work on the site has already begun. The first phase of the project will involve the construction of a 3,500 sq m retail park and a sports area with football and paddle tennis courts, while the second phase will involve the construction of auxiliary premises,” said RDA CEO Andriy Lototsky.
This retail park will be built on the city’s bypass road, on the Kyiv-Chop international highway. This location is notable for its convenient transport links and high traffic volume (about 45,000 cars per day). A parking lot for 120 cars is planned near the retail park.
RDA has already begun the process of brokering the commercial property. The retail park’s tenants will include stores selling household goods, sportswear, and footwear, as well as fashion retailers, according to the announcement.
According to Lototsky, the rental space is planned to be transferred to retail operators for adaptation in May next year, and the official opening of the park is scheduled for August 2026.
Retail & Development Advisor (RDA) is a Ukrainian consulting company founded in 2013. It provides a full range of services in the field of retail and office real estate. It offers services in architectural concept development, brokerage, property management, outsourcing of the development/leasing department of shopping centers, and market analytics.
On December 20, 2025, Uzhhorod will host one of the key events of the year in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery — the “Live Surgery Transcarpathian: Difficult Cases 2.0” conference.
The organizer is the plastic surgery clinic Lita Plus, with the support of UPRADAS — Ukrainian Plastic Reconstructive Aesthetic Dermatosurgeons Association.
The event will bring together more than 100 plastic and reconstructive surgeons, dermatologists, and dermatosurgeons from all over Ukraine to share practical experience, discuss complex clinical cases, and present new approaches to treatment.
During the conference, cases of reconstructive surgery performed by the military will be discussed.
In addition to the main scientific program, participants can expect discussion panels, practical case studies, and professional networking.
For the second time, the Difficult Cases 2.0 conference will be a unique platform for lively professional dialogue, where more than 20 speakers will analyze clinical cases from their own practice, complex cases, and solutions.
“We have created a format where doctors can learn from other doctors. This is what shapes the new quality of medicine — when the professional environment does not compete, but develops together,” notes Sergey Derbak, founder of the Lita Plus clinic and president of the UPRADAS association.
Speakers at the event include Sergey Derbak, Ruslan Gumenny, Alexander Karpinsky, Ilya Kirichenko, Alexander Turkevich, Sergey Romanyuk, Vladimir Shapovaluk, Evgeny Simulik, Denis Pominchuk, Alexander Pasechnik, Vasily Pasechnik, Anna Barinova, Irina Shmygina, and other leading surgeons of Ukraine.
Traditionally, the event will take place in Uzhhorod, at the Camelot hotel complex.
“Transcarpathia is becoming an important hub for the development of medical education. It is a place that combines tranquility, focus, and community — exactly what is needed for professional growth,” comments Alexander Karpinsky, plastic surgeon at the Lita Plus clinic.
The conference is supported by the UPRADAS association, which brings together plastic, reconstructive, aesthetic, and dermatological surgeons from Ukraine.
The association promotes the development of postgraduate education, the improvement of surgical standards, and the integration of Ukrainian doctors into the international professional community.
“We support events that not only shape knowledge but also the culture of communication between specialists. Difficult Cases is exactly the format that changes the approach to medical education,” notes Sergey Derbak.
In addition to its educational value, the conference has a charitable mission — all funds raised will be used to purchase vehicles and equipment for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Traditionally, the event will include a gala evening with a charity auction, the proceeds of which will also go to help the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
A separate category of participation is open to medical university students and interns.
This is a unique opportunity to see the work of leading surgeons, communicate with mentors, and take the first steps in professional development.
Date: December 20, 2025
Venue: Camelot Hotel Complex, Uzhhorod
Start time: 9:00 a.m.
Online registration and program details: https://livesurgery-transcarpathian.com
Media accreditation: +38 050 172 35 00
Contact person: Kira Skrypnyk, Head of PR Department, Lita Plus Clinic — pr@litaplus.com.
Interfax-Ukraine is the information partner of the conference
Biopharmaceutical company Biopharma (Kyiv) has completed construction of a new pharmaceutical plant in Uzhhorod.
This was announced by Dmytro Kysilevsky, deputy chairman of the parliamentary committee on economic development.
“Biopharma Plasma has completed 80% of the construction of a plant for the production of blood plasma-based medicines in Uzhhorod. The industrial premises have already been fully built, the construction and connection of the energy infrastructure has been completed, and the installation of production equipment will begin in October,” he wrote on his Facebook page.
Kysilevsky specified that commissioning work at the plant is scheduled for late 2025-early 2026, with the launch of the first stage of production planned for the first half of 2026.
According to the plan, the volume of blood plasma-based drugs produced in Uzhhorod will be twice that of Bila Tserkva, amounting to 1.5 million liters of blood plasma per year.
Construction of the Biofarma Plasma plant in Uzhhorod began in the fall of 2024. The planned investment in the new production facility is approximately €80 million. The company’s Uzhhorod plant will focus on exports.
