UPL 2026/27: Bukovyna back, Veres braced for survival battle

With the new Ukrainian Premier League season almost here, it is time to take stock of a summer that has gone very differently for two clubs. Bukovyna are riding a wave of optimism after ending a decades-long wait for top-flight football. Veres, by contrast, are moving into the campaign with a smaller budget and plenty of uncertainty. Bukovyna had not played in the elite since 1993/94, when they finished 17th and went straight back down. By the mid-2010s they had slipped as far as the third division. Serhiy Shyshchenko changed all that with an almost flawless season, and the black-and-yellow club from Chernivtsi will finally mix with the country's best again. Their approach to the transfer market was sensible: no revolution, just targeted additions with UPL know-how. Ilya Putria, Viacheslav Tankovskyi, Vladyslav Pryimak and Maksym Zaderaka all chose to remain in the top division with Bukovyna. Nigerian Edwin Odinaka arrives from Železničar, and Croatian Mihael Klepač joins from Široki Brijeg. The club mostly let young players leave, while Kyrylo Prokopchuk was sent to Obolon, a club with obvious links to Bukovyna. Preseason results showed both ambition and vulnerability. Bukovyna beat Veres 3-2, but then were thrashed 0-4 by Epicenter. They later drew with Metalist 1-1 and Michalovce 1-1, defeated Rukh 2-1, edged Kisvárda 1-0 and played out a 2-2 draw with Nyíregyháza. The opening fixtures are demanding, with LNZ, Karpaty, Dynamo and Kharkiv all up before the first international break. Even the game against Obolon, a special one for Shyshchenko, looks far from straightforward. Bukovyna may not be ready for the very top, but they should be too good to go straight back down. The forecast here is a 7th-8th place finish. Veres, meanwhile, are starting a season with more modest hopes. Their fourth consecutive campaign in the top flight last term was a club record for independent Ukraine, yet the team could not push on. Having finished ninth two years ago, Oleh Shandruk's side slipped to 11th and stumbled again at the end. Now the budget is being cut. The squad has not been significantly strengthened. Australian forward Nathanael Blair is the most eye-catching arrival, but Veres have lost Andriy Kozhukhar, Roman Honcharenko, Dmytro Klots and Serhiy Sten. Loan deals for Denys Ndukwe and Serhiy Korniychuk never got off the ground. If these holes are not filled before the window closes, even cautious predictions may be too generous. Veres stayed in Ukraine for preseason, and their friendlies offered little comfort. Defeats to Karpaty (1-5 and 0-1) and Kolos (2-3) stood out, as did a 2-3 loss to Bukovyna. Draws with Nyva Ternopil and Polissia-2, both 1-1, and a 3-0 win over YukSA suggested this squad cannot afford to coast at any point. Survival looks like the only realistic objective again, and it is hard to say with any confidence that Veres will manage it.