According to Experts Club, the Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kirovohrad regions led Ukraine in the area planted with winter grain crops for the 2027 harvest. As of November 4, farmers in these three regions had planted 1.372 million hectares, or 30.9% of the total area in Ukraine, according to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine.
The largest area planted with winter grains was recorded in the Mykolaiv region—500,000 hectares. Of this, 401,000 hectares were planted with wheat and triticale, 97,000 hectares with barley, and 2,000 hectares with rye.
In second place is the Dnipropetrovsk region, where 475,600 hectares have been sown with winter grains. Wheat and triticale account for the bulk of the crops—421,800 hectares. Another 52,100 hectares are allocated for barley and 1,700 hectares for rye.
The Kirovohrad region ranks third with 396,700 hectares. Specifically, 360,500 hectares are allocated for wheat and triticale, 34,800 hectares for barley, and 1,400 hectares for rye.
Other regions with the largest areas planted with winter grains include the Odesa region with 395,000 hectares, the Poltava region with 281,200 hectares, the Cherkasy region with 225,400 hectares, and the Khmelnytskyi region with 223,300 hectares.
In total, 2.497 million hectares have been planted with winter grains in these seven regions, accounting for 56.1% of the total area in Ukraine.
At the same time, the geographical distribution of winter rapeseed plantings differs somewhat from that of grains.
The Odesa region leads in this crop with 195,000 hectares, while the Vinnytsia region ranks second with 125,000 hectares. Next are the Mykolaiv region—98,000 hectares, the Khmelnytskyi region—85,700 hectares, and the Ternopil region—79,300 hectares.
Thus, the Mykolaiv region ranks among the top three regions in terms of both winter grain and rapeseed plantings, while the Odesa region is the largest production region in terms of winter rapeseed acreage.
In total, as of November 4, 2026, Ukrainian farmers had planted 4.448 million hectares of winter grains, or 85.4% of the forecast. Winter rapeseed plantings totaled 1.152 million hectares, or 104.2% of the plan.
The total area planted with winter grains and rapeseed reached 5.599 million hectares.
Compared to the same date last year, the total area planted with these crops decreased by approximately 309,000 hectares, or 5.2%. However, the reduction in grain plantings was partially offset by an increase in the area planted with rapeseed.
Operational indicators for the planting campaign reflect the actual planted areas as of the reporting date and may change after the completion of fall fieldwork.
Source: Ministry of Agrarian Policy, operational data on winter crop planting as of November 4, 2026.
agricultural sector, GRAIN, planting season, RAPESEED, UKRAINE
According to Experts.news, as of November 4, 2026, Ukrainian farmers had planted 4.448 million hectares with winter grain crops, which is 400,300 hectares, or 8.3%, less than on the same date last year, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine reported.
According to the ministry, 85.4% of the projected area for winter grain crops—totaling approximately 5.21 million hectares—has been planted.
The largest declines were seen in winter wheat and barley plantings. Specifically, 3.953 million hectares—or 87.1% of the forecast—have been sown with wheat and triticale. This is 350.5 thousand hectares, or 8.1%, less than on the same date in 2025.
Winter barley has been planted on 420,500 hectares, which is only 70.8% of the projected area. Compared to last year, its planted area has decreased by 58,200 hectares, or 12.1%.
At the same time, the area planted with winter rye increased by 12.7%, to 74.3 thousand hectares. Farmers have already completed 96.9% of the forecast for this crop.
The pace of grain planting has slowed in recent weeks. During the week of October 28 through November 4, the planted area increased by 234,600 hectares, whereas the previous week saw an increase of 285,300 hectares, and the week before that—536,800 hectares.
Thus, the weekly increase in grain plantings decreased by 17.8%, and compared to the figure from two weeks ago, it has more than halved.
In total, farmers still need to plant about 763,000 hectares of winter grains to meet the forecast, including approximately 588,000 hectares of wheat and triticale and 173,000 hectares of barley.
As of the same date in 2025, Ukrainian farmers had planted 4.848 million hectares of winter grains. At that time, wheat plantings totaled 4.304 million hectares, barley—478,700 hectares, and rye—65,900 hectares.
The current figures reflect the progress of the fall planting campaign for the 2027 harvest. The final area planted with winter grains will depend on the completion of fieldwork, and the future harvest will also depend on how well the crops survive the winter and on spring weather conditions.
Sources: Ministry of Agrarian Policy, operational data on winter crop planting as of November 4, 2026; official planting statistics as of November 4, 2025.
According to Experts Club, as of November 4, 2026, Ukrainian farmers had planted 1.152 million hectares of winter rapeseed, which is 91,300 hectares, or 8.6%, more than on the same date last year, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine reported.
According to the ministry, farmers have fulfilled 104.2% of the rapeseed planting forecast, exceeding the initially planned area by approximately 46,000 hectares.
Thus, winter rapeseed became the only major winter crop whose planting not only exceeded the forecast but also showed significant growth compared to last year.
By comparison, the total area planted with winter grain crops as of early November decreased by 8.3% compared to the same date in 2025. Wheat and triticale plantings were down by 8.1%, and barley plantings by 12.1%.
At the same time, winter rapeseed is showing the opposite trend, which may indicate increased interest among agricultural producers in growing oilseeds.
The largest areas of winter rapeseed are concentrated in the Odesa region, where 195,000 hectares have been planted. This accounts for about 16.9% of the crop’s total area in Ukraine.
The Vinnytsia region ranks second with 125,000 hectares, and the Mykolaiv region ranks third, with 98,000 hectares sown with rapeseed.
The top five also include the Khmelnytskyi region with 85,700 hectares and the Ternopil region with 79,300 hectares.
In total, these five regions account for 583,000 hectares, or 50.6% of all winter rapeseed acreage in Ukraine.
Over the past week, the area under cultivation has increased by 16,900 hectares. As of October 28, 1.135 million hectares had been planted, or 102.7% of the forecast.
Winter rapeseed is one of Ukraine’s main oilseed crops and an important raw material for the production of vegetable oil, feed ingredients, and biofuel. A significant portion of the rapeseed grown in Ukraine is traditionally exported, primarily to European countries, where it is used in the food industry and biodiesel production.
The increase in planted area sets the stage for growth in rapeseed production during the 2027 season; however, the final harvest volume will depend on weather conditions, the condition of the crops after winter, and yield.
As reported, as of November 4, 2025, 1.060 million hectares had been planted with winter rapeseed in Ukraine.
Sources: Ministry of Agrarian Policy, press release dated November 4, 2026; Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture, data as of November 4, 2025.
The Norwegian government will allocate approximately $107 million (1 billion Norwegian kroner) for investments in Ukraine, which will be carried out in partnership with domestic businesses to mobilize additional private capital for the Ukrainian defense industry, according to a statement on the Norwegian government’s website on Tuesday.
It is noted that the new program is proposed to be implemented with a three-year financial framework, and the necessary funds will be allocated under the already approved Fridtjof Nansen Support Program for Ukraine. The new initiative will be managed by the state-owned investment company Investinor, which will focus on funds operating in Norway that invest in the Ukrainian defense-industrial complex.
“Ukrainian defense companies hold leading positions in a number of areas. Norwegian investments will help the Ukrainian defense sector develop even more rapidly and will also allow relevant Norwegian players to participate more closely in the sector’s development,” the publication quotes Norwegian Minister of Industry and Trade Cecilie Mirseth as saying.
For his part, Norwegian Minister of Finance Jens Stoltenberg emphasized that a partnership between public and private capital will provide Ukraine with the necessary resources for defense.
Norwegian Minister of Defense Tore O. Sandvik stressed that the development of Ukraine’s defense industry will strengthen deterrence even after a ceasefire is achieved, and that expanding cooperation between the defense sectors of the two countries is in the interests of European and Norwegian security.
Foreign Minister Espen Bart Eide added that Norway will continue to support Ukraine through the “Nansen” program to counter Russian aggression and rebuild the country.
As previously reported, in August, Ukraine and Norway signed a cooperation agreement on unmanned aerial vehicles, aimed at strengthening collaboration between the two countries’ defense sectors and opening new opportunities for the joint production of defense technologies. In addition, Norway will maintain its support for
for Ukraine under the “Nansen” program at a level of approximately $9 billion.
According to Experts.news, metallurgical production in Ukraine from January through September 2026 fell by 18.2% compared to the same period last year, while production volumes in the electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply sector fell by 16.7%, the State Statistics Service of Ukraine (Derzhstat) reported on November 3.
According to the published data, a significant decline was also recorded in the production of coke and refined petroleum products—by 18.1%.
At the same time, the mining and quarrying sector showed a much smaller decline—by 0.2% compared to January–September 2025.
The negative trend in key industrial sectors is occurring against the backdrop of Russian attacks on industrial and energy infrastructure, energy supply restrictions, and the shutdown of certain large manufacturing enterprises.
In particular, according to information from the “Ukrmetallurgprom” association of enterprises, released on October 9, Ukrainian metallurgical enterprises reduced steel production by 19.8% in January–September 2026 compared to the same period last year—to 4.431 million metric tons.
Pig iron production during this period decreased by 22.9%, to 4.463 million metric tons, while total rolled steel production fell by 23%, to 3.729 million metric tons.
A particularly significant decline was observed in September. According to preliminary data from the industry association, only 131,000 metric tons of steel were produced during the month, compared to 277,000 metric tons in August—a 52.7% decrease.
Pig iron output in September totaled 113,000 metric tons, compared to 257,100 metric tons in August, while rolled steel output stood at 137,000 metric tons, compared to 269,500 metric tons the previous month.
Thus, in just one month, steel smelting, pig iron production, and rolled steel output all fell by approximately half.
The figures provided by “Ukrmetallurgprom” reflect the output of specific types of metallurgical products in metric tons, whereas the State Statistics Service calculates the industrial production index based on a broader range of products within the relevant economic sector.
The challenges facing the metallurgical industry have implications for related sectors of the Ukrainian economy, including iron ore mining, rail transportation, the energy sector, coke production, and the scrap metal market.
The decline in steel production also limits the industry’s ability to export metal products and generate foreign exchange earnings from its operations.
Overall, industrial production in Ukraine fell by 1.9% over the first nine months of 2026, and in September, the decline accelerated to 9.2% year-over-year.
As previously reported, in 2025 the overall industrial production index fell by 1.7%, whereas in 2024 it rose by 4.7%.
Data from the State Statistics Service do not include temporarily occupied territories or parts of territories where hostilities are ongoing or have taken place.
Sources: State Statistics Service of Ukraine, data for January–September 2026; “Ukrmetallurgprom,” metallurgical industry performance results as of October 9, 2026.
The personal participation of Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets in the humanitarian mission in the temporarily occupied town of Oleshky in Kherson region was positively assessed by 61.3% of surveyed Ukrainians, while 29.6% said their attitude toward the ombudsman had improved following reports of his involvement, according to the results of an Active Group study presented on Tuesday at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
According to the survey, conducted on October 31 at the request of the publication Politarena, 28.4% of respondents assessed Lubinets’ decision to personally join the humanitarian operation very positively, while another 32.9% assessed it rather positively. Some 3.3% viewed the decision negatively, 23.5% expressed a neutral attitude, and another 11.9% reported having insufficient information.
Oleksandr Pozniy, director of Active Group, noted that the survey demonstrated a predominantly positive perception of the Ukrainian ombudsman’s actions, despite critical discussions surrounding his contacts with representatives of the Russian side.
“A huge proportion of people, 54%, said their attitude had not changed. But among those whose opinions did change, we see that approximately 4% changed their opinion in a negative direction, while almost 30% changed it in a positive direction. This speaks very clearly about the level of support for Dmytro Lubinets,” he said.
According to the study, 12.3% of respondents said their attitude toward Lubinets had improved significantly, while 17.3% said it had rather improved. It remained unchanged for 54.1% and worsened for 4.2%. Another 12.1% were unaware of his participation in the mission or were unable to answer.
A separate question concerned the impact of the personal participation of the head of a humanitarian operation on trust in its organizers as a whole.
In particular, 20.6% of respondents believe that such participation significantly increases trust, while 35.7% believe it rather increases trust. Meanwhile, 21.9% are convinced that it has no effect on trust, 4.9% believe it reduces trust, and 16.9% were undecided.
Andriy Yeremenko, founder of Active Group, explained that the personal presence of the mission leader in territory controlled by the enemy could have been an important factor in building confidence among people who agreed to be evacuated.
“People could simply have been afraid to board these buses, given their experience of living under Russian control. But the appearance of such a person, whose presence in a certain way guarantees security, gives them confidence and a willingness to leave. On the other hand, it is also a guarantee for all sides that there will be no violation of the ceasefire,” Yeremenko noted.
Viktoriya Plotnikova, editor-in-chief of Politarena, drew attention to the difference between the reactions of social media users and the assessments of survey respondents.
“The mission in Oleshky was truly unique, not only because of the local ceasefire but also because of communication with the enemy. We saw the Ukrainian and Russian ombudsmen communicating about such an important humanitarian issue as saving people. This, of course, caused a very emotional reaction among Ukrainians,” she said.
According to Plotnikova, it was precisely the unusual format of the operation and the public discussion surrounding direct communication between representatives of Ukraine and the Russian Federation that prompted the rapid sociological study.
Vitaliy Kulyk, director of the Center for Civil Society Studies, described Lubinets’ personal participation as one of the key factors in the implementation of the humanitarian mission.
“It was a risky operation; no one guaranteed the safety of Lubinets and his advisers. There was a constant sense of danger that a provocation might occur. But this did not happen, in particular thanks to the mediation mission of Melania Trump,” the expert noted.
In Kulyk’s opinion, the experience of the humanitarian operation demonstrated the possibilities for direct working contacts between human rights commissioners even during wartime. At the same time, he emphasized that the effectiveness of the mission should be assessed not only by the evacuation itself but also by the subsequent support provided to the rescued citizens.
“We saved people, but what comes next? Those rescued from Oleshky are internally displaced persons. The issue of their reintegration into normal life is one of the issues we have no right to leave unattended,” Kulyk stressed.
He drew attention to the need to ensure that evacuees, many of whom are elderly, have access to social benefits, document restoration, medical assistance and other public services.
Overall, 93.6% of respondents support the humanitarian mission in Oleshky, while 93.8% consider it important. Some 57.1% of respondents gave positive assessments of the international mediation by US First Lady Melania Trump.
At the same time, the results concerning increased trust in organizers relate to the personal participation of humanitarian mission leaders in general and do not constitute a direct measurement of changes in Lubinets’ trust rating.
The survey was conducted by the research company Active Group on October 31, 2026, at the request of Politarena through the SunFlower Sociology online panel among 1,000 respondents. The stated statistical margin of error is ±3.1%. According to the organizers, the sample represents Ukraine’s adult population, excluding temporarily occupied territories.
ACTIVE GROUP, Dmytro Lubinets, humanitarian mission, SOCIOLOGY, UKRAINE, Олешки
