On 21 August 2026 Sport.ua spoke with football expert Oleg Fedorchuk, who said he does not expect dramatic surprises at the current 1/32 stage of the Ukrainian Cup. Fedorchuk argued results will largely follow the ranking table, pointing to a clear difference in class between professional clubs and amateur sides.
He noted UPL and PFL teams had better preseason conditions than amateurs and argued they are unlikely to field purely reserve lineups, especially because the Cup winner earns a Europa League place. Fedorchuk also recalled last season’s unusual run by Chernihiv but said such luck rarely repeats.
He named several fixtures of interest — including Karpaty–Obolon, YUKSA–Kolos and Bratslav–Oleksandriya — and mentioned the round opened with Dinaz vs. Phoenix-Mariupol. He added that some higher-profile clubs offered to switch home venues to save energy and cover costs, but opponents refused, leaving home advantage intact.