Ukraine and Romania discussed the development of electricity interconnectors, the use of gas corridors, and the expansion of cooperation in the field of gas production during the first online meeting between Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Denys Shmyhal and Romania’s Minister of Energy Dumitru Căsălicea.
“The agenda included the region’s energy security and the implementation of joint energy projects,” Shmyhal wrote on his Telegram channel.
According to him, the parties focused on the development of electricity interconnectors between the countries—which would provide nearly 1 GW of additional transmission capacity—and discussed deepening bilateral cooperation in this area.
Logistical issues related to fuel supplies were also discussed. Shmyhal informed his Romanian counterpart about Ukraine’s proposals to increase the capacity of border crossing points and open new transit routes.
Particular attention was paid to the use of the Vertical and Trans-Balkan gas corridors and the development of new interconnectors. The Ukrainian side noted Romania’s role in implementing the roadmap for the Trans-Balkan route, particularly in introducing more competitive tariff conditions.
“We also count on Romanian companies’ interest in storing part of their gas in Ukrainian gas storage facilities as part of the development of the Vertical Corridor,” Shmyhal noted.
Following the meeting, the parties agreed to work together to establish cooperation between Ukrainian and Romanian companies in the field of gas production and field development.
Source: https://t.me/Denys_Smyhal/13224
Ukraine’s postwar reconstruction should involve not only the rebuilding of destroyed infrastructure and enterprises, but also a structural transformation of the economy—specifically, a shift from a raw materials-based model to the production of high-value-added goods. This was stated by expert Stakovychenko Igor, according to the publication “Glavred.”
In his assessment, the reconstruction could serve as an opportunity for the technological modernization of Ukrainian industry, increasing productivity, and strengthening the competitiveness of domestic enterprises in international markets.
“Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction is not just the largest infrastructure project in the history of the independent state. It is a chance to change the structure of the national economy, to transition from a raw materials-based model to the production of high-value-added goods,” Stakovichenko noted.
According to a joint assessment by the Ukrainian government, the World Bank, the European Commission, and the UN, released in February 2026, the country’s needs for recovery and reconstruction over the next decade amount to nearly $588 billion.
Transportation infrastructure, the energy sector, housing, industry, and the agricultural sector will require the largest investments. At the same time, recovery efforts must continue even before the war ends, despite security risks.
Among the main challenges for the economy, experts highlight not only physical destruction but also a shrinking labor force, a shortage of skilled workers, logistical constraints, and insufficient access to financing. Under these conditions, restoring production capacity alone will not guarantee its effective operation.
Promising areas for development could include agricultural processing, energy, information technology, and the defense industry. In particular, the modernization of energy infrastructure creates opportunities for the development of distributed generation and improved energy efficiency, while defense technologies could serve as the foundation for establishing new high-tech manufacturing facilities.
At the same time, the private sector will remain a key factor in the country’s recovery. International financial assistance is necessary to overcome the consequences of the war; however, long-term economic growth will also require private investment, job creation, and the expansion of export capacity.
To attract capital, Ukraine must ensure the protection of property rights, access to credit, a predictable tax policy, a reduction in administrative burdens on entrepreneurs, and an effective judicial system.
According to Stakovichenko, the key criterion for successful reconstruction should not be the number of restored facilities or the amount of funds disbursed, but rather the economy’s ability to create new industries, jobs, and added value.
Thus, post-war reconstruction could serve as a tool for Ukraine’s transition to a more modern economic model focused on technology, productivity, and competitive manufacturing.
ECONOMY, INDUSTRY, INVESTMENT, RECONSTRUCTION, UKRAINE, СТАКОВИЧЕНКО
Latvia continues to enjoy a high level of positive perception among Ukrainians: in August 2026, 68.3% of respondents viewed the country positively, while only 3.9% viewed it negatively. Compared to March, the share of positive assessments has decreased slightly; however, the country continues to rank among the nations with the highest levels of public favor, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
According to the results of the August survey, 39.7% of Ukrainians view Latvia entirely positively, and 28.6% view it mostly positively. 26.6% of respondents hold a neutral position. 2.5% view the country mostly negatively, 1.4% view it entirely negatively, and another 1.2% were undecided.
The balance of positive and negative assessments stands at plus 64.4 percentage points. Thus, positive attitudes toward Latvia outnumber negative ones by more than 17 times. Overall, the countries of Northern Europe and the Baltic states maintained some of the highest levels of positive attitudes among Ukrainians in the August wave of the survey.
In March 2026, 71.6% of respondents had a positive attitude toward Latvia: 42.4% viewed it entirely positively and 29.1% viewed it mostly positively. A neutral stance was held by 24.5% of respondents, negative assessments accounted for about 2.6%, and another 1.4% were undecided.
Thus, over five months, the share of positive assessments decreased by 3.3 percentage points—from 71.6% to 68.3%. The negative segment increased by approximately 1.3 percentage points, while the neutral segment rose by 2.1 percentage points. The balance between positive and negative attitudes decreased from approximately plus 69 to plus 64.4 percentage points.
At the same time, the most significant change occurred among respondents with the most strongly positive views: the share of entirely positive assessments decreased from 42.4% to 39.7%, while the share of mostly positive assessments remained close to previous levels—29.1% in March and 28.6% in August.
On an annual basis, the overall picture also remains stable. In August 2025, 72.7% of Ukrainians viewed Latvia positively, while 5.3% viewed it negatively. In other words, the current share of positive responses is slightly lower than a year ago, but the negative segment also remains smaller.
Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research firm Active Group, commenting on the results of the previous survey wave regarding Latvia, attributed the high level of public support to the country’s consistent engagement with Ukraine.
“Ukrainians, in general, are very good at distinguishing between countries that demonstrate consistent support for Ukraine. At the same time, the level of positive attitude is shaped not only by political statements but also by concrete actions that people can experience firsthand. That is precisely why even small countries can have a very strong positive image,” Pozniy noted.
The latest wave of the survey shows a slight decline in positive assessments of Latvia, but no fundamental shift in public perception. More than two-thirds of Ukrainians continue to view the country positively, while the share of negative responses remains below 4%.
The survey was conducted in August 2026 using an online self-administered questionnaire via the SunFlowerSociology panel among 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older. The maximum theoretical margin of error for indicators at the 50% confidence level is ±3.5 percentage points.
ACTIVE GROUP, BALTIC STATES, EUROPEAN UNION, EXPERTS CLUB, international relations, LATVIA, Pozniy, PUBLIC OPINION, SOCIOLOGY, UKRAINE
Norway continues to enjoy one of the highest levels of positive perception among Ukrainians: in August 2026, 72% of respondents viewed the country positively, while only 2.7% viewed it negatively. Compared to March, the positive rating has declined slightly, but the overall pattern of assessments remains stable, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center.
According to the results of the August survey, 35.8% of Ukrainians view Norway entirely positively, and 36.2% view it mostly positively. A neutral stance is held by 24.1% of respondents. 2.3% view the country mostly negatively, 0.4% view it entirely negatively, and another 1.2% were undecided.
The balance of positive and negative assessments stands at plus 69.3 percentage points. Thus, positive attitudes toward Norway outweigh negative ones by more than 26 times. According to the overall survey results, the country remains among the leaders in terms of public sentiment, alongside Canada, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Finland.
In March 2026, 72.7% of respondents had a positive attitude toward Norway. At that time, 37.1% of those surveyed described their attitude as entirely positive, and 35.7% as mostly positive. A neutral stance was held by 24.2%, a negative one by 1.9%, and another 1.2% were undecided.
Thus, over the course of five months, the overall share of positive assessments decreased by only 0.7 percentage points—from 72.7% to 72%. The neutral segment remained virtually unchanged—24.2% in March versus 24.1% in August. At the same time, the share of negative responses increased by 0.8 percentage points—to 2.7%.
The balance between positive and negative attitudes decreased from approximately plus 70.8 to plus 69.3 percentage points. The changes remain insignificant and do not indicate a fundamental shift in attitudes toward the country: nearly three-quarters of Ukrainians continue to view Norway positively.
Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research firm Active Group, commenting on the results of the previous wave, emphasized the stability of the established image of Norway.
“Ukrainians quite clearly differentiate between countries based on levels of trust and actual support. In the case of Norway, we see a consistently high level of positive sentiment, which is not shaped by current events but is based on a long-term perception of the country as a reliable partner. Even a slight decline in the figures does not change the overall picture—Norway remains one of the most positively viewed countries among all those surveyed,” Pozniy noted.
The results of the August wave effectively confirm this assessment. Despite a slight increase in the negative segment, it remains minimal, and the share of neutral responses has remained virtually unchanged. This distinguishes Norway from countries where public assessments have fluctuated significantly over the course of the year.
The previous survey wave was conducted in March 2026 among 800 Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and older using self-administered online questionnaires on the SunFlowerSociology panel. The sample was representative by age, gender, and region; the maximum theoretical margin of error for indicators at the 50% confidence level was ±3.5 percentage points.
ACTIVE GROUP, EXPERTS CLUB, international relations, NORTHERN EUROPE, NORWAY, Pozniy, PUBLIC OPINION, SOCIOLOGY, UKRAINE
As of October 2026, there are 478 individuals in Ukraine, each of whom is registered as the owner or beneficial owner of at least 50 companies. The maximum number of companies linked to a single individual reaches 5,889, according to data from the Unified State Register published by the analytical service “OpenDataBot” on October 26.
According to the study, Vitaliy Ilnitsky of Kyiv remains the individual with the largest number of registered companies, listed as the owner of 5,889 enterprises.
Second place goes to Ruslan Merzlyakov from Donetsk, who is linked to 2,221 companies. Thus, the number of companies registered to the leader of the ranking is more than double that of his closest competitor.
In third place is Vladislav Melekhin from Kyiv, who is listed as the owner or beneficiary of 858 companies.
Fourth place goes to Andriy Puya from Zenkiv in the Poltava region with 799 companies, and fifth place goes to Kateryna Doroshenko from Kyiv with 674 companies.
The top ten also includes Valeriy Ilienko (637 companies), Yuriy Pukhir (571), Andriy Sosonny (525), Tetyana Svyrydyuk (455), and Valeriy Malakhov (408).
Thus, even in tenth place on the ranking, the number of legal entities linked to a single person exceeds 400.
In the study, “mass owners” are defined as individuals who appear in government registries as owners or beneficiaries of at least 50 registered companies. However, the existence of such a record does not mean that the individual single-handedly manages all of the relevant companies.
As Miroslav Laba, a tax and regulatory policy specialist at the Economic Expert Platform, noted, a large number of companies owned or controlled by a single individual does not in itself constitute a violation of the law.
At the same time, the expert believes that the registration of hundreds or thousands of companies under a single individual may indicate the use of nominal directors or owners.
According to him, it is important for tax authorities to identify the actual officers who carry out business operations and are responsible for fulfilling tax obligations.
The use of nominal owners, in the expert’s assessment, is considered a tax risk factor, as it may be accompanied by an opaque management structure and potential tax evasion schemes.
At the same time, the mere fact that a person appears in the registry of a large number of companies does not constitute evidence of fictitious business operations, legal violations, or tax evasion.
The “OpenDataBot” study is based on registration data regarding company owners and ultimate beneficial owners. It does not draw conclusions about the actual financial condition, business activity, or tax compliance of the companies included in the list.
Source: “OpenDataBot,” study “478 Mass Owners of Companies in Ukraine,” October 26, 2026.
AFINA Group LLC, owned by Ruslan Shostak and Valery Kiptik—co-owners of the EVA and Varus retail chains—has made its first shipment of products to Latvia, the company’s press office reported.
“Entering the Latvian market is another important step in the development of AFINA Group’s exports. It is fundamental for us that we are entering the European market with products of Ukrainian origin and are gradually expanding the geographic reach of our own brands. The first shipment to Latvia is already a full-scale commercial shipment, and our next task is to develop distribution and brand presence in local retail,” said Yevhen Svitailo, head of the export department at AFINA Group, as quoted by the press service.
Latvia has become the seventh country where AFINA Group has an export presence, following Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Estonia. Three of the company’s brands—SARMIX, Polar Shine, and Bubble Bunny (the European version of the Vukhashtik brand)—have entered the Latvian market simultaneously. The first shipment includes SARMIX and Bubble Bunny laundry detergents, as well as Polar Shine products.
OZZ has become AFINA Group’s partner in Latvia and will work on expanding the distribution of Ukrainian products in the local market. A presence in the DEPO retail chain is being considered as one of the most promising sales channels.
In addition, it is reported that AFINA Group is continuing negotiations with international partners and working to expand its sales geography so that “Made in Ukraine” products become increasingly visible on the shelves of foreign retailers.
As previously reported, in June 2026, AFINA Group resumed operations of the tower-type production line for laundry detergents at the facilities of PJSC “Vinnitsapobutkhim.” The planned capacity of the tower-type production line is 95 metric tons of dry laundry detergent per production shift.
In August 2025, AFINA Group won an online auction for the privatization of the nationalized PJSC “Vinnitsapobutkhim” with a bid of 608.136 million UAH against a starting price of 301.406 million UAH.
AFINA Group has been operating in the Ukrainian market for over 20 years. It is one of the leading operators in the fields of distribution, logistics, and private label development. The ultimate beneficiaries are Ruslan Shostak (47.5%), Valerii Kiptik (37.5%), Serhii Pototskyi (10%), and Serhii Zaikov (5%).
The company manufactures products under the “Vukhastik,” “SARMIX,” and “iFresh” brands. It serves key national and local retail chains through its own extensive network of branches and distribution logistics centers.
According to data from the YouControl analytical system, in the first quarter of 2026, AFINA Group LLC increased its revenue by 0.65%—to 1 billion 527 million 185 thousand UAH, while net profit amounted to 90.4 million UAH, compared to 156,087,000 UAH in the first half of 2025.
