Today marks the start of a training camp for Ukraine's U-18 national team. During this period, the blue-and-yellow team will participate in an international tournament taking place in Sweden and featuring teams from Norway and Denmark as well.

— Mr. Volodymyr, why did you take charge of this team?

— Because the head coach of this team, Oleksandr Sitnik, is currently working with the 2009 birth year squad preparing for the Euro-2026 (U-17) qualification round.

— Will you return to work with the U-16 team after this?

— Exactly. The process is already underway there. We have had talks with players' parents, watched many matches. However, in case of any unforeseen circumstances, I may be involved in working with senior national teams.

— Do you know many of the U-18 team's players?

— Yes, as I was head coach at Shakhtar's academy for two years in the 2008 birth year squad. Also, I followed other footballers in Ukraine and abroad. You could say that these age-group players are like my own (smiling). Probably because of this, I was chosen to lead this team on a training camp.

— Are the best performers from this age group currently involved, or is it more of a selection camp?

— To some extent, it can be called a selection camp. Every new training session or tournament provides new information for coaches because at young ages, progress and decline are often rapid. Coaches always need to keep track.

— What tasks will the coaching staff set before the team during this camp?

— The main task is to prepare players for the senior national team. We work with one playing model, so we look for the best ones to help the boys grow professionally and gain international experience.

Ukraine's U-18 National Team Roster

Goalkeepers: Rostyslav Baglai («Shakhtar» Donetsk), Kyrylo Khadashevych («Wolfsburg», Germany), Fedir Tkachenko («Betis», Spain).

Defenders: Yegor Kostyuk, Nikita Kaluzhnyi (both — «Shakhtar» Donetsk), Danylo Ogorodnik («Dynamo» Kyiv), Arsen Zalypka («Ruh» Lviv), Artur Muradyan («Borussia» M, Germany), Mykita Melnyk («Napoli», Italy), Stanislav Tolstolis («Nacional», Portugal).

Midfielders: Artem Zubryi, Oleksandr Balakay, Oleksandr Sereda (all — «Shakhtar» Donetsk), Nazar Ivaskiv («Dynamo» Kyiv), Mukhammed Dzhurabaev («Ruh» Lviv), Andriy Korol («Metalist 1925» Kharkiv), Artem Khorzhyk («Polesia» Zhytomyr), Illia Kut'ya («Gajduk», Croatia), Anton Martyniuk (PSV, Netherlands).

Forwards: Zakharyy Zakharov («Kolos» Kovalivka), Dmitry Zudin («Gajduk», Croatia), Illia Men'shikov («Austria», Austria).

Schedule of Ukraine U-18 Matches in Sweden

04.09.2025. Ukraine — Norway (6:30 PM)

06.09.2025. Sweden — Ukraine (1:00 PM)

09.09.2025. Ukraine — Denmark (6:30 PM)