The new head coach of the Gorodishche Plyavyv team is Sergiy Dyriavka — a former well-known football player who has recently been working in the coaching staff of "VPK-Agro" and "Peremoha".

The club management has set the task for him to preserve their status in the first league. This will be difficult, as "Hirnyk-Sport" faces serious personnel issues.

As for the favorite, "Polesye", during an overseas training camp in Turkey, they played another friendly match and signed a peace agreement with one of Uzbekistan's strongest teams — "Nasaf". Vasyl Hrytsuk scored first, but at the end of the game the opponents equalized — 1:1. Now under Yuri Kalitvinets' guidance, his team will participate in the international Winter Cup tournament.

Two other contenders for promotion, "LNZ" and "Karpaty", are demonstrating activity on the transfer market. The team from Chernihiv has strengthened its ranks with Vitaliy Boyko, Nazarii Nych, Oleksandr Nosonov, Illia Kovalevskyi, and Serhiy Shestakov. Andriy Storchous and Andriy Lashchenko will no longer play for "LNZ".

As for the Lviv team, they have also signed two experienced players from top division — Danylo Knysh and Taras Sakiv.

The footballers of "Dinaz" have already participated in the Oleg Makarov Memorial and defeated a UPL representative, "Kolos", 2-0. Andriy Voloshyn and Timofiy Kalenchuk scored. A quartet of potential new signings is currently on trial.

"Metallurh" has also started preparing for the upcoming challenges. The first stage of preparation will take place in Zaporizhzhia. Head coach Volodymyr Mykytin no longer relies on Igor Levchenko and Vladyslav Borisenko.