2025–26 Ukrainian Premier League
35th season of top-tier football league in Ukrainian football
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The 2025–26 Ukrainian Premier League season, referred to as the VBET Ukrainian Premier League for sponsorship reasons, is the 35th top-level football club competition since the fall of the Soviet Union and the 18th since the establishment of the Ukrainian Premier League (UPL).
15 December 2025 – 19 February 2026
(winter break)
Oleksandriya
 Official logo[1] | |
| Season | 2025–26 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 1 August 2025 – 29 May 2026 15 December 2025 – 19 February 2026 (winter break) |
| Champions | Shakhtar Donetsk |
| Relegated | Poltava Oleksandriya |
| Champions League | Shakhtar Donetsk |
| Europa League | winner of the Ukrainian Cup |
| Conference League | LNZ Cherkasy |
| Matches | 232 |
| Goals | 602 (2.59 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | 2 players (12 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Shakhtar 7–1 Poltava (9 November 2025) |
| Biggest away win | Obolon 0–6 Shakhtar (22 November 2025) |
| Highest scoring | Kryvbas 5–6 Dynamo (26 April 2026) |
| Longest winning run | 7 matches Shakhtar |
| Longest unbeaten run | 21 matches Shakhtar |
| Longest winless run | 21 matches Oleksandriya |
| Longest losing run | 7 matches Poltava |
| Highest attendance | 9,850 Epitsentr 0–1 Shakhtar (3 August 2025) |
| Lowest attendance | 0 Oleksandriya 0–1 Rukh (30 November 2025) |
| Total attendance | 396,116 |
| Average attendance | 1,707 |
← 2024–25 2026–27 →
All statistics correct as of 18 May 2026. | |
The season has started on 1 August 2025 and will end on 29 May 2026. The UPL clubs decided not to hold the season opening match Ukrainian Super Cup due to the ongoing Russian military aggression against Ukraine.[2][3]
Dynamo Kyiv are the defending champions, having won their 17th Premier-Liha title and their 30th overall domestic title in the previous season.
Teams
This season, the Ukrainian Premier League remained at 16 teams.
Promoted teams
- Epitsentr Kamianets-Podilskyi – first-placed team of the 2024–25 Ukrainian First League (debut)
- SC Poltava – second-placed team of the 2024–25 Ukrainian First League (debut)
- Metalist 1925 Kharkiv – third-placed team of the 2024–25 Ukrainian First League, winner in relegation play-off (returning after one-year absence)
- FC Kudrivka – fourth-placed team of the 2024–25 Ukrainian First League, winner in relegation play-off (debut)
Relegated teams
- Inhulets Petrove – relegated after one season in the top flight
- Chornomorets Odesa – relegated after three seasons in the top flight
- Vorskla Poltava – relegated after twenty-nine seasons in the top flight, lost in relegation play-off
- Livyi Bereh Kyiv – relegated after one season in the top flight, lost in relegation play-off
Location map
Several teams (Metalist 1925, Shakhtar, and Zorya) are playing their home games away from their cities due to ongoing hostilities.
Stadiums
The minimum threshold for the stadium's capacity in the UPL is 4,500 (Article 10, paragraph 8.3).[4]
The following stadiums in 2025–26 Ukrainian Premier League are regarded as home grounds:
| Rank | Stadium | Place | Club | Capacity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arena Lviv |
Lviv | Shakhtar Donetsk | 34,725 | used as home ground during the season |
| Rukh Lviv | |||||
| FC Kudrivka | used as home ground in 1 match | ||||
| SC Poltava | used as home ground in 1 match | ||||
| 2 | Ukraina Stadium  |
Lviv | Karpaty Lviv | 28,051 | |
| Rukh Lviv | used as home ground in 3 matches | ||||
| SC Poltava | used as home ground in 1 match | ||||
| 3 | Lobanovskyi Dynamo Stadium .jpg) |
Kyiv | Dynamo Kyiv | 16,873 | |
| Zorya Luhansk | used as home ground during the season | ||||
| SC Poltava | used as home ground in 1 match[5] | ||||
| 4 | Shukhevych Miskyi Stadium ![](#/media/File:КП_"Тернопільський_міський_стадіон"_2832762.jpg){kind=small} |
Ternopil | Epitsentr Kamianets-Podilskyi | 15,150 | used as home ground in 6 matches |
| 5 | Berezkin Zirka Stadium  |
Kropyvnytskyi | SC Poltava | 13,305 | used as home ground during the season |
| 6 | Cherkasy Arena  |
Cherkasy | LNZ Cherkasy | 10,321 | |
| 7 | Avanhard Stadium  |
Rivne | Veres Rivne | 7,122 | |
| Epitsentr Kamianets-Podilskyi | used as home ground in 1 match [6] | ||||
| FC Kudrivka | used as home ground in 5 matches | ||||
| Metalist 1925 Kharkiv | used as home ground in 1 match[7][a] | ||||
| 8 | CSC Nika Stadium .jpg) |
Oleksandriya | FC Oleksandriya | 7,000 | |
| 9 | Tsentralnyi Stadium .jpg) |
Zhytomyr | Polissya Zhytomyr | 5,928 | |
| Metalist 1925 Kharkiv | used as home ground during the season[8][b] | ||||
| FC Kudrivka | used as home ground in 1 match | ||||
| 10 | Obolon Arena  |
Kyiv | Obolon Kyiv | 5,103 | |
| FC Kudrivka | used as home ground during the season | ||||
| SC Poltava | used as home ground in 1 match | ||||
| Zorya Luhansk | used as home ground in 1 match | ||||
| Kolos Kovalivka | used as home ground in 1 match | ||||
| 11 | Kolos Stadium  |
Kovalivka | Kolos Kovalivka | 5,050 | |
| Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih | used as home ground in 1 match | ||||
| 12 | Arena Livyi Bereh  |
Zolocha hromada | Epitsentr Kamianets-Podilskyi | 4,700 | used as home ground in 7 matches[9][10] |
| 13 | Hirnyk Stadium  |
Kryvyi Rih | Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih | 3,219 |
Personnel and sponsorship
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shakhtar Donetsk |  Marino Pušić |
Sacked | 24 May 2025[11] | Pre-season |  Arda Turan |
27 May 2025 |
| LNZ Cherkasy |  Roman Hryhorchuk |
Mutual consent | 26 May 2025[12][13] | Vitaliy Ponomaryov |
5 June 2025 | |
| FC Oleksandriya | Ruslan Rotan |
End of contract | 29 May 2025[14] | Kyrylo Nesterenko |
17 June 2025 | |
| Polissya Zhytomyr | Oleksandr Maksymov (caretaker) |
End of caretaker spell | 29 May 2025 | Ruslan Rotan |
29 May 2025[15] | |
| Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih | Yuriy Vernydub |
End of contract | 31 May 2025 | Patrick van Leeuwen |
9 June 2025 | |
| Rukh Lviv | Vitaliy Ponomaryov |
Mutual consent | 4 June 2025 | Ivan Fedyk |
11 June 2025[h] | |
| Obolon Kyiv | Serhiy Shyshchenko |
Mutual consent | 4 June 2025 | Oleksandr Antonenko (interim)[i] |
4 June 2025 | |
| Zorya Luhansk |  Mladen Bartulović (interim) |
End of interim spell & contract | 16 June 2025 | Viktor Skrypnyk |
16 June 2025 | |
| Metalist 1925 Kharkiv | Oleksandr Chyzhov (caretaker) |
End of caretaker spell | 20 June 2025 | Mladen Bartulović |
20 June 2025 | |
| SC Poltava | Volodymyr Sysenko[j] |
Change of role | 29 July 2025 | Pavlo Matviychenko (interim) |
29 July 2025 | |
| FC Kudrivka | Vasyl Baranov |
Juridical | 5 August 2025 | 1st | Vitaliy Kostyshyn (interim)[k] |
5 August 2025 |
| Dynamo Kyiv | Oleksandr Shovkovskyi |
Sacked | 27 November 2025 | 7th | Ihor Kostyuk (caretaker) |
27 November 2025 |
| Ihor Kostyuk (caretaker) |
Permanent basis | 17 December 2025 | 4th | Ihor Kostyuk |
17 December 2025 | |
| Karpaty Lviv | Vladyslav Lupashko |
Mutual consent | 31 December 2025 | 9th |  Fran Fernández |
8 January 2026 |
| FC Kudrivka | Vitaliy Kostyshyn (interim) |
Resigned | 20 February 2026[17] | 13th | Vasyl Baranov |
20 February 2026 |
| FC Oleksandriya | Kyrylo Nesterenko[l] |
Mutual consent | 23 March 2026 | 15th | Volodymyr Sharan |
23 March 2026 |
| FC Kudrivka | Vasyl Baranov |
Sacked | 4 May 2026 | 13th | Oleksandr Protchenko |
5 May 2025 |
Notes:
- The round 15 match Metalist 1925 vs Veres that was scheduled on December 7, 2025, was suspended multiple times and later abandoned on the 20th minute due to electricity issues at the host's, Metalist 1925, stadium
- FC Livyi Bereh Kyiv terminated the cooperation agreement with the Metalist 1925 due to indecent behavior and obscene statements by Metalist 1925's representatives towards the FC Livyi Bereh
- In the Round 23 match against Shakhtar, LNZ played without the title sponsor logo. Before Round 23 betting company FavBet was the title sponsor
- Before Round 23 betting company FavBet was the title sponsor
- Shakhtar Donetsk terminated their relationships with Favbet
- Since 26th matchweek
- Betting company Prematch was the title sponsor for the first three league matches. After the Ukrainian Cup match and beyond, the club has no title sponsor
- The appointment of the coach was announced on 11 June 2025, however the official presentation took place on 23 June 2025
- Serhiy Shyshchenko were to leave the club officially after 16 June 2025, but before 16 June, his assistant, Oleksandr Antonenko, had been interim spell without Shyshchenko
- The coach was absent for health reasons in the 2nd part of the 2024–25 Ukrainian First League. The team was managed by his assistant, Ihor Tymchenko. On 7 December 2025, Sysenko passed away. Later, the president of SC Poltava clarified that provisionally Matviychenko is the acting head coach, but de facto the senior squad is managed by Tymchenko. Tymchenko is expected to take the coaching PRO certification in March of 2026.[16]
- Vitaliy Kostyshyn is the head coach of the U-19 team, but legally he was appointed head coach of the main team, since Vasyl Baranov does not have a UEFA PRO license. However, Vasyl Baranov remains de-facto head coach of the first team.
- The official protocols on the UPL website indicated Nesterenko's assistant Yevhen Kalynychenko as the head coach.
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shakhtar Donetsk (C, Q) | 29 | 22 | 6 | 1 | 71 | 20 | +51 | 72 | Qualification for the Champions League league phase[a] |
| 2 | LNZ Cherkasy (Q) | 29 | 17 | 6 | 6 | 38 | 17 | +21 | 57 | Qualification for the Conference League second qualifying round |
| 3 | Polissya Zhytomyr | 29 | 17 | 5 | 7 | 49 | 21 | +28 | 56 | |
| 4 | Dynamo Kyiv[b] | 29 | 16 | 6 | 7 | 63 | 34 | +29 | 54 | |
| 5 | Metalist 1925 Kharkiv | 29 | 12 | 12 | 5 | 35 | 19 | +16 | 48 | |
| 6 | Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih | 29 | 13 | 8 | 8 | 52 | 45 | +7 | 47 | |
| 7 | Kolos Kovalivka | 29 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 29 | 25 | +4 | 46 | |
| 8 | Zorya Luhansk | 29 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 40 | 35 | +5 | 43 | |
| 9 | Karpaty Lviv | 29 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 39 | 29 | +10 | 41 | |
| 10 | Veres Rivne | 29 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 26 | 39 | −13 | 31[c] | |
| 11 | Obolon Kyiv | 29 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 28 | 48 | −20 | 31[c] | |
| 12 | Epitsentr Kamianets-Podilskyi | 29 | 8 | 7 | 14 | 36 | 45 | −9 | 31[c] | |
| 13 | Kudrivka | 29 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 30 | 45 | −15 | 28 | Qualification for the Relegation play-off |
| 14 | Rukh Lviv (Q) | 29 | 6 | 3 | 20 | 20 | 49 | −29 | 21 | |
| 15 | Oleksandriya (R) | 29 | 3 | 7 | 19 | 23 | 57 | −34 | 16 | Relegation to Ukrainian First League |
| 16 | Poltava (R) | 29 | 2 | 6 | 21 | 23 | 74 | −51 | 12 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Goal difference; 6) Goals scored; 7) Draw or "Golden match" if two teams tied for title (Article 22, paragraph 3).[18]
(C) Champions; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- Shakhtar Donetsk was moved to the Champions League league phase as the champion with the highest club coefficient in the Champions League qualifying rounds, due to re-balancing from the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League winner already qualifying for league phase via their domestic league.
- Dynamo Kyiv have reached the Final of the 2025–26 Ukrainian Cup, where the cup winner qualifies for the Europa League first qualifying round
- Ranked on head-to-head points: Veres Rivne 8, Obolon Kyiv 5, Epitsentr Kamianets-Podilskyi 2.
Results
Teams play each other twice on a home and away basis.
Matches affected by air raid alerts
Round 1
Zorya vs LNZ. The match had been interrupted in the 17th minute for 36 minutes.[30]
Round 2
Poltava vs Veres. The match had been interrupted in the 80th minute for 38 minutes.[31]
Kryvbas vs Metalist 1925. The match had been interrupted in the 24th minute for 38 minutes.[32]
Round 3
Rukh vs Obolon. The match had been interrupted in the 67th minute for 15 minutes.[33]
Kolos vs Karpaty. The match had been interrupted in the 33nd minute for 17 minutes.[34]
Zorya vs Kryvbas. The match had been interrupted in the 63th minute for 17 minutes.[35]
Round 4
Kryvbas vs Obolon. The match was delayed for 20 minutes.[36]
Round 5
Obolon vs Dynamo. The match was delayed for 15 minutes.[37]
Kryvbas vs Polissya. The match was delayed for 30 minutes and then had been interrupted in 2nd minute for 8 minutes.[38]
Round 6
Obolon vs Karpaty. The match had been interrupted in 26th minute for 49 minutes.[39]
Round 8
Kolos vs Rukh. The match was delayed for 60 minutes.[40]
Oleksandriya vs Karpaty. The match had been interrupted in the 9th minute for 41 minutes.[41]
Obolon vs Veres. The match was delayed for 45 minutes.[42]
Round 10
Poltava vs Kolos. The match was delayed for 15 minutes.[43]
Round 11
Kryvbas vs Poltava. The match was delayed for 60 minutes.[44]
LNZ vs Karpaty. The match had been interrupted a few times: in the 26th minute for 39 minutes; in the 49th minite for 31 minutes; in the 90+4th minute for 22 minutes.[45]
Round 12
Oleksandriya vs Polissya. The match was delayed for 20 minutes.[46]
Round 14
Obolon vs Kolos. The match had been interrupted in 44th minute for 45 minutes.[47]
Round 16
Oleksandriya vs Kudrivka. The match was delayed for 27 minutes.
Round 18
LNZ vs Polissya. The match had been interrupted a few times: in 7th minute for 29 minutes and then in 90+2nd minute for 18 minutes[48].
Round 19
Polissya vs Dynamo.The match had been interrupted in 90+1st minute for 19 minutes.
Round 20
LNZ vs Oleksandriya. The match was delayed for 45 minutes.[49]
Round 22
Poltava vs Oleksandriya. The match was delayed for 49 minutes.
Kryvbas vs LNZ.The match had been interrupted in 13th minute for 45 minutes.
Round 23
Poltava vs Polissya. The match had been interrupted in 85th minute for 5 minutes.
LNZ vs Shakhtar. 2nd half of the match was delayed for 40 minutes.
Round 24
Obolon vs Poltava. The match ended 30 seconds before stoppage time. The air raid siren sounded one minute before the end of the match, in the 90+5 minute.
Round 25
Kryvbas vs Dynamo. The match was delayed for 50 minutes.
Round 26
Poltava vs Kryvbas. The match had been interrupted in 43rd minute for 108 minutes.
Oleksandriya vs Kolos. The match was delayed for 120 minutes. 2nd half of the match was delayed for 165 minutes.
Round 27
Kryvbas vs Karpaty. The match was delayed for 75 minutes.
Round 28
Shakhtar vs Obolon. The match was delayed for 45 minutes. Later it has been interrupted in 17th minute for 50 minutes and again, in 25th minute for 37 minutes.
Round 29
Kryvbas vs Shaktar. The match was delayed for 95 minutes. Later it has been interrupted in 15th minute for 65 minutes.
Kolos vs Obolon. The match had been interrupted in 73rd minute for 21 minutes.
Match results by week
Position by round
| Lider/Champions of 2025–26 Ukrainian Premier League/Qualification for the Champions League 2QR | |
| Qualification for Conference League 2QR | |
| Qualification for the Relegation play-offs | |
| Relegation to Ukrainian First League |
Season statistics
Top goalscorers
| Rank | Scorer | Team | Goals Pen. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matviy Ponomarenko |
Dynamo Kyiv | 12 (0) |
| Pylyp Budkivskyi |
Zorya Luhansk | 12 (3) | |
| 3 |  Gleiker Mendoza |
Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih | 11 (0) |
| 4 |  Peter Itodo |
Metalist 1925 Kharkiv | 10 (0) |
| Prosper Obah |
LNZ Cherkasy / Shakhtar Donetsk | 10 (1) | |
| Andriy Storchous |
Kudrivka | 10 (1) | |
| 7 |  Baboucarr Faal |
Rukh Lviv / Karpaty Lviv | 9 (0) |
| Mykola Hayduchyk |
Polissya Zhytomyr | 9 (0) | |
| Andriy Yarmolenko |
Dynamo Kyiv | 9 (3) | |
| 10 |  Mark Assinor |
LNZ Cherkasy | 8 (0) |
| Carlos Paraco |
Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih | 8 (0) | |
| Vadym Sydun |
Epitsentr Kamianets-Podilskyi | 8 (0) | |
| Oleksiy Hutsulyak |
Polissya Zhytomyr | 8 (3) | |
| Yehor Tverdokhlib |
Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih / LNZ Cherkasy | 8 (3) | |
| Joaquinete |
Epitsentr Kamianets-Podilskyi | 8 (6) | |
First goal of the season:
Mykyta Burda – Kolos vs Kryvbas (1 August 2025)
Own goals:
- Yevhen Misyura – for Rukh vs SC Poltava (1 August 2025)
- Anton Yashkov – for FC Oleksandriya vs FC Kudrivka (3 August 2025)
- Vitaliy Kholod – for Dynamo vs Rukh (8 August 2025)
- Stepan Hryhorashchuk – for Kolos vs Epitsentr (30 August 2025)
- Andriy Lomnytskyi – for Karpaty vs Obolon (22 September 2025)
- Vladyslav Moroz – for Kudrivka vs Epitsentr (26 September 2025)
Miguel Campos – for Karpaty vs Oleksandriya (4 October 2025)- Valeriy Dubko – for Veres vs Obolon (4 October 2025)
- Oleksandr Kemkin – for Kudrivka vs Kryvbas (5 October 2025)
- Vladyslav Kabayev – for Shakhtar vs Dynamo (2 November 2025)
- Vadym Pidlepych – for Shakhtar vs Poltava (9 November 2025)
- Bohdan Mykhaylichenko – for Karpaty vs Polissya (13 December 2025)
Jordan (2) – for Kudrivka vs Zorya (23 February 2026)- Artur Ryabov – for Shakhtar vs LNZ Cherkasy (13 April 2026)
- Valeriy Bondar — for LNZ Cherkasy vs Shakhtar (13 April 2026)
- Oleksiy Tovarnytskyi — for Kryvbas vs Rukh (19 April 2026)
- Volodymyr Yasinskyi — for Kryvbas vs Rukh (19 April 2026)
Nil Coch – for Polissya vs Epitsentr (12 May 2026)- Yuriy Kopyna — for FC Oleksandriya vs Rukh (17 May 2026)
Clean sheets
| Rank | Player | Club | Clean sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oleksiy Palamarchuk |
LNZ Cherkasy | 16 |
| Dmytro Riznyk |
Shakhtar Donetsk | ||
| 3 | Nazar Domchak |
Karpaty Lviv | 14 |
| Danylo Varakuta |
Metalist 1925 Kharkiv | ||
| Yevhen Volynets |
Polissya Zhytomyr | ||
| 6 | Ivan Pakholyuk |
Kolos Kovalivka | 10 |
| 7 | Oleh Bilyk |
Epitsentr Kamianets-Podilskyi | 9 |
| 8 | Valentyn Horokh |
Veres Rivne | 8 |
| 9 | Ruslan Neshcheret |
Dynamo Kyiv | 7 |
| Oleksandr Saputin |
Zorya Luhansk | ||
Hat-tricks
As of 26 April 2026[update]
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Lassina Traoré |
Shakhtar Donetsk | Karpaty Lviv | 3–0 (H) | 22 February 2026 |
 Nemanja Anđušić |
Zorya Luhansk | SC Poltava | 4–0 (H) | 8 March 2026 |
| Peter Itodo |
Metalist 1925 Kharkiv | Veres Rivne | 4–0 (H) | 15 April 2026 |
| Gleiker Mendoza4 |
Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih | Dynamo Kyiv | 5–6 (H) | 26 April 2026 |
Awards
Monthly awards
| Month | Player of the Month | Coach of the Month | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Club | Coach | Club | ||
| August 2025 | Andriy Storchous |
Kudrivka | Vasyl Baranov |
Kudrivka | [52] |
| September 2025 |  Bruninho |
Karpaty Lviv | Mladen Bartulović |
Metalist 1925 Kharkiv | [53] |
| October 2025 | Prosper Obah |
LNZ Cherkasy | Vitaliy Ponomaryov |
LNZ Cherkasy | [54] |
| November 2025 December 2025 |
Oleksiy Hutsulyak |
Polissya Zhytomyr | [55] | ||
| February 2026 March 2026 |
Matviy Ponomarenko |
Dynamo Kyiv | Ihor Kostyuk |
Dynamo Kyiv | [56] |
| April 2026 | Gleiker Mendoza |
Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih | Fran Fernández |
Karpaty Lviv | [57] |
| May 2026 | |||||
Round awards
The list includes winners of the Round by the Ukrainian Premier League as well as the Ukrainian internet publisher "SportArena".
Relegation play-offs
Teams that placed 13th and 14th in the 2025–26 Ukrainian Premier League play two-leg play-off with the third and fourth teams of the 2025–26 Ukrainian First League.
This round includes 2 clubs from Premier League: Rukh Lviv and Kudrivka or Obolon Kyiv or Epitsentr Kamianets-Podilskyi; 2 clubs from First League: Chornomorets Odesa or Livyi Bereh Kyiv and Ahrobiznes Volochysk or Inhulets Petrove.
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBD | x–x | TBD | ||
| TBD | x–x | TBD |
First Semi-final
| v | ||
|---|---|---|
| v | ||
|---|---|---|
Second Semi-final
| v | ||
|---|---|---|
| v | ||
|---|---|---|