The 2025–26 Ukrainian Premier League season, referred to as the VBET Ukrainian Premier League for sponsorship reasons, was 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).
The season started on 1 August 2025 and ended on 24 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.
Dynamo Kyiv were 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
Stadiums
The minimum threshold for the stadium's capacity in the UPL is 4,500 (Article 10, paragraph 8.3).Places of holding competitions (Місця проведення змагань) . 2022–23 Ukrainian Premier League regulations.
The following stadiums in 2025–26 Ukrainian Premier League are regarded as home grounds:
RankStadiumPlaceClubCapacityNotes1Arena LvivLvivShakhtar Donetsk 34,725used as home ground during the seasonRukh LvivFC Kudrivkaused as home ground in 1 matchSC Poltavaused as home ground in 1 match2Ukraina Stadium Lviv Karpaty Lviv 28,051Rukh Lvivused as home ground in 3 matches SC Poltavaused as home ground in 1 matchShakhtar Donetskused as home ground in 1 match3Lobanovskyi Dynamo Stadium KyivDynamo Kyiv 16,873Zorya Luhanskused as home ground during the seasonSC Poltavaused as home ground in 1 match 4Shukhevych Miskyi Stadium TernopilEpitsentr Kamianets-Podilskyi 15,150used as home ground in 6 matches 5Berezkin Zirka Stadium KropyvnytskyiSC Poltava 13,305used as home ground during the season 6Cherkasy Arena Cherkasy LNZ Cherkasy 10,321 7Avanhard Stadium Rivne Veres Rivne 7,122Epitsentr Kamianets-Podilskyiused as home ground in 1 match FC Kudrivkaused as home ground in 5 matchesMetalist 1925 Kharkivused as home ground in 1 match 8CSC Nika Stadium Oleksandriya FC Oleksandriya7,000 9Tsentralnyi Stadium ZhytomyrPolissya Zhytomyr 5,928Metalist 1925 Kharkivused as home ground during the seasonМеталіст 1925 планує проводити домашні матчі у новому сезоні у Житомирі. sportarena.com. 19 July 2025FC Kudrivkaused as home ground in 1 match 10Obolon Arena Kyiv Obolon Kyiv 5,103FC Kudrivkaused as home ground during the seasonSC Poltavaused as home ground in 1 matchZorya Luhanskused as home ground in 1 matchKolos Kovalivkaused as home ground in 1 match 11Kolos Stadium KovalivkaKolos Kovalivka 5,050 Kryvbas Kryvyi Rihused as home ground in 1 match12Arena Livyi Bereh Zolocha hromadaEpitsentr Kamianets-Podilskyi 4,700used as home ground in 8 matches13Hirnyk Stadium Kryvyi RihKryvbas Kryvyi Rih 3,219 Notes: Unlike clubs like Metalist 1925 Kharkiv, Shakhtar and Zorya, which are forced to play away from their home stadiums due to proximity to the open combat area, while Epitsentr, Kudrivka and Poltava do not have a qualified stadiums.
Personnel and sponsorship TeamPresidentHead coachCaptainKit manufacturerShirt sponsor Dynamo Kyiv Ihor Surkis Ihor Kostyuk Vitaliy Buyalskyi New Balance GG.BET Epitsentr Kamianets-Podilskyi Ivan Chernonoh Serhiy Nahornyak Andriy BezhenarBavovna Епіцентр Karpaty Lviv Volodymyr Matkivskyi Fran Fernández Vladyslav Babohlo Nike Lvivske Kolos Kovalivka Andriy Zasukha Ruslan Kostyshyn Valeriy Bondarenko Nike Svitanok Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih Kostyantyn Karamanits Patrick van Leeuwen Maksym Zaderaka SKIDAN RudomainFC KudrivkaRoman Solodarenko Oleksandr Protchenko Anton YashkovKelmebetking LNZ Cherkasy Viktor Kravchenko Vitaliy Ponomaryov Nazariy Muravskyi Macron teviitaMetalist 1925 Kharkiv Bohdan Boyko Mladen Bartulović Ivan KalyuzhnyiPumaWhitebit Obolon Kyiv Oleksandr Slobodian Oleksandr Antonenko (interim) Oleh Slobodyan Jako Obolon Oleksandriya Serhiy Kuzmenko Volodymyr Sharan Dmytro Myshnyov Nike AgroVista Polissya Zhytomyr Hennadiy Butkevych Ruslan Rotan Ruslan Babenko Nike BGV GroupSC Poltava Serhiy Ivashchenko Pavlo Matviychenko (interim) Vladyslav DanylenkoARTYКВП, Poltava Brewery, Insortex Rukh Lviv Hryhoriy Kozlovskyi Ivan Fedyk Denys Pidhurskyi Kappa Emily Resort, Auroom, Onur Group Shakhtar Donetsk Rinat Akhmetov Arda Turan Mykola Matviyenko Puma SCM, BETON Veres Rivne Ivan Nadieyin Oleh Shandruk Ihor Kharatin Buntar betking Zorya Luhansk Yevhen Heller Viktor Skrypnyk Pylyp Budkivskyi Puma Without sponsor
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyTableIncoming managerDate of appointmentShakhtar Donetsk Marino PušićSacked24 May 2025Pre-season Arda Turan27 May 2025LNZ Cherkasy Roman HryhorchukMutual consent26 May 2025 Vitaliy Ponomaryov5 June 2025FC Oleksandriya Ruslan RotanEnd of contract29 May 2025 Kyrylo Nesterenko17 June 2025Polissya Zhytomyr Oleksandr Maksymov (caretaker)End of caretaker spell29 May 2025 Ruslan Rotan29 May 2025Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih Yuriy VernydubEnd of contract31 May 2025 Patrick van Leeuwen9 June 2025Rukh Lviv Vitaliy PonomaryovMutual consent4 June 2025 Ivan Fedyk11 June 2025Obolon Kyiv Serhiy ShyshchenkoMutual consent4 June 2025 Oleksandr Antonenko (interim)4 June 2025Zorya Luhansk Mladen Bartulović (interim)End of interim spell & contract16 June 2025 Viktor Skrypnyk16 June 2025Metalist 1925 Kharkiv Oleksandr Chyzhov (caretaker)End of caretaker spell20 June 2025 Mladen Bartulović20 June 2025SC Poltava Volodymyr SysenkoChange of role29 July 2025 Pavlo Matviychenko (interim)29 July 2025FC Kudrivka Vasyl BaranovJuridical5 August 20251st Vitaliy Kostyshyn (interim)5 August 2025Dynamo Kyiv Oleksandr ShovkovskyiSacked27 November 20257th Ihor Kostyuk (caretaker)27 November 2025 Ihor Kostyuk (caretaker)Permanent basis17 December 20254th Ihor Kostyuk17 December 2025Karpaty Lviv Vladyslav LupashkoMutual consent31 December 20259th Fran Fernández 8 January 2026FC Kudrivka Vitaliy Kostyshyn (interim)Resigned20 February 202613th Vasyl Baranov20 February 2026FC Oleksandriya Kyrylo NesterenkoMutual consent23 March 202615th Volodymyr Sharan23 March 2026FC Kudrivka Vasyl BaranovSacked4 May 202613th Oleksandr Protchenko5 May 2025 Notes:
League table
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. Round 2 Poltava vs Veres. The match had been interrupted in the 80th minute for 38 minutes. Kryvbas vs Metalist 1925. The match had been interrupted in the 24th minute for 38 minutes. Round 3 Rukh vs Obolon. The match had been interrupted in the 67th minute for 15 minutes. Kolos vs Karpaty. The match had been interrupted in the 33nd minute for 17 minutes. Zorya vs Kryvbas. The match had been interrupted in the 63th minute for 17 minutes. Round 4 Kryvbas vs Obolon. The match was delayed for 20 minutes. Round 5 Obolon vs Dynamo. The match was delayed for 15 minutes. Kryvbas vs Polissya. The match was delayed for 30 minutes and then had been interrupted in 2nd minute for 8 minutes. Round 6 Obolon vs Karpaty. The match had been interrupted in 26th minute for 49 minutes. Round 8 Kolos vs Rukh. The match was delayed for 60 minutes. Oleksandriya vs Karpaty. The match had been interrupted in the 9th minute for 41 minutes. Obolon vs Veres. The match was delayed for 45 minutes. Round 10 Poltava vs Kolos. The match was delayed for 15 minutes. Round 11 Kryvbas vs Poltava. The match was delayed for 60 minutes. 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. Round 12 Oleksandriya vs Polissya. The match was delayed for 20 minutes. Round 14 Obolon vs Kolos. The match had been interrupted in 44th minute for 45 minutes. 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. 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. 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. Relegation play-offs 1st leg Oleksandriya vs Livyi Bereh. The match had been interrupted in 78th minute for 22 minutes.
Match results by week
Position by round
Season statistics
Top goalscorers Top scorers. Ukrainian Premier League.
RankScorerTeamGoals1 Matviy PonomarenkoDynamo Kyiv13 (0)2 Andriy StorchousKudrivka12 (1) Pylyp BudkivskyiZorya Luhansk12 (3)4 Gleiker MendozaKryvbas Kryvyi Rih 11 (0)5 Peter ItodoMetalist 1925 Kharkiv10 (0) Prosper ObahLNZ Cherkasy / Shakhtar Donetsk10 (1)7 Baboucarr FaalRukh Lviv / Karpaty Lviv9 (0) Mykola HayduchykPolissya Zhytomyr9 (0) Andriy YarmolenkoDynamo Kyiv9 (3)10 Mark AssinorLNZ Cherkasy8 (0) Carlos ParacoKryvbas Kryvyi Rih8 (0) Vadym SydunEpitsentr Kamianets-Podilskyi8 (0) BruninhoKarpaty Lviv8 (1) Oleksiy HutsulyakPolissya Zhytomyr8 (3) Yehor TverdokhlibKryvbas Kryvyi Rih / LNZ Cherkasy8 (3) JoaquineteEpitsentr Kamianets-Podilskyi8 (6) First goal of the season:
Own goals:
Last goal of the season :
Clean sheets
RankPlayerClubCleansheets1 Oleksiy PalamarchukLNZ Cherkasy172 Dmytro RiznykShakhtar Donetsk163 Nazar DomchakKarpaty Lviv14 Danylo VarakutaMetalist 1925 Kharkiv Yevhen VolynetsPolissya Zhytomyr6 Ivan PakholyukKolos Kovalivka117 Oleh BilykEpitsentr Kamianets-Podilskyi98 Valentyn HorokhVeres Rivne89 Ruslan NeshcheretDynamo Kyiv7 Oleksandr SaputinZorya Luhansk
Hat-tricks
PlayerForAgainstResultDate Lassina TraoréShakhtar DonetskKarpaty Lviv3–0 (H)22 February 2026 Nemanja AnđušićZorya LuhanskSC Poltava4–0 (H)8 March 2026 Peter ItodoMetalist 1925 KharkivVeres Rivne4–0 (H)15 April 2026 Gleiker Mendoza4Kryvbas Kryvyi RihDynamo Kyiv5–6 (H)26 April 2026
Awards Monthly awards