Source: fbu.ua
The Ukrainian men’s national basketball team is set to begin preparations for the second group stage of the 2027 World Cup qualifiers. Their first official match will take place on August 28 in Riga, where Ukraine will host Greece in a nominally home game. Ticket sales for this fixture have already been opened. Following that, on August 31, Ukraine will face Montenegro away.
The coaching staff has finalized an extended roster for the upcoming matches:
Defenders:
Oleksandr Kovlyar (Buducnost, Montenegro), head coach Volodymyr Ponko;
Denys Lukashov (Rigas Zeļļi, Latvia), head coach Iryna Nasedkina;
Yehor Sushkin (Kyiv-Basket, Ukraine), head coach Yevhen Naidyon;
Illia Tyrtyshnyk (Basket Academy Catarzano, Italy), head coaches Iryna Ryabuha, Andriy Denik;
Maksym Shulha (Boston Celtics, NBA), head coach Andriy Mazurkevych;
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (Utah Jazz, NBA), head coach Oleksandr Molchanov;
Forwards:
Ivan Tkachenko (Zadar, Croatia), head coaches Anatoliy Fedorenko, Yevhen Tkachenko;
Oleksandr Kobzystyi (University of Oregon, NCAA), head coach Viktor Kobzystyi;
Andriy Voynalovych (Tauragė, Lithuania), head coach Lesia Poluiakhtova;
Artem Kovalov (Yankee Ark, Taiwan), head coach Volodymyr Mashyra;
Vyacheslav Bobrov (Dinamo, Romania), head coaches Serhiy Bordeychuk, Oleksandra Ivlieva;
Daniil Shelest (Oviedo, Spain), head coach José Antonio Campoy;
Centers:
Rostyslav Novytskyi (VEF, Latvia), head coach Andriy Denik;
Maksym Klychko (East Carolina University, NCAA), head coach Franky Marulanda;
Dmytro Skapintsev (Leima Coruña, Spain), head coach Anatoliy Fedorenko;
Oleksiy Len (Real, Spain), head coach Mykhailo Lysovolenko;
Head coach — Ainars Bagatskis
Assistants — Serhiy Hladyr, Valeriy Plekhanov, Raimonds Feldmanis, Oleksandr Tomarevskyi
*Players currently without clubs are listed with the teams they represented in the 2025/26 season.
Among the squad, NBA player Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk from Utah Jazz stands out, with Oleksiy Len and Maksym Shulha also called up to the national team camp. Head coach Ainars Bagatskis commented on the squad changes following the July matches:
“Maxym Shulha will be part of the team for this window. From the first day I communicated with his agent — I was in close contact — there were no doubts. He expressed readiness to join the national team camp. He wants to play, and there is nothing more to add. He is a very responsible, serious player of a good level.
Rostyslav Novytskyi is returning to the squad after an injury; he hasn’t played since December. He has a strong desire to represent the national team, is a proven player and a great guy, so there are no questions about his inclusion.
A few days ago, I spoke with Oleksiy Len. He also has a strong wish to play for the national team, but as we know, he suffered an injury in May and has not fully recovered yet. He is regaining fitness but is not training in full contact yet. Therefore, he is included in the squad, but the final decision will be made closer to the start of the camp.
I talked with Oleksandr Lypovyi; he really wants to play and, if all goes well, is ready for November, but like in July, he will miss these matches due to family reasons.
Sanon has not yet recovered from the injury he sustained at the end of the season. Blyzniuk wants to play for the national team but is still undergoing rehabilitation after surgery and has not fully recovered yet.
Maxym Hryshchuk performed very well at the U20 European Championship. We would like to see him alongside the country’s top players. So we are keeping a close eye on him as well.”
Bagatskis’ squad will gather on August 14 in Latvia for a training camp. As part of their preparations, Ukraine will play two friendly matches: on August 20 against the University of Arizona team in the Lithuanian city of Kėdainiai, and on August 23 against Latvia’s national team in Riga. After these friendlies, the national team will begin the second round of European qualifiers for the World Cup.
Ukraine successfully advanced through the first qualifying stage, finishing second in Group A with four wins and two losses.
Carrying a 4-2 record into the second round, Ukraine holds the second-best record in Group I after Spain (5-1). The group also includes Montenegro (4-2), Portugal (3-3), Greece (3-3), and Georgia (3-3).
At the end of the second stage, the top three teams from the group will secure qualification for the 2027 World Cup, which will be held in Qatar.
