Ukraine prepares for key matches to qualify for Euro-2026 in handball: what is the state of the national team.

The Ukraine national handball team is preparing for the second qualifying window for the Euro-2026 championship. The third match in the qualifiers will be against the Kosovo national team.

Ukraine started the qualification for Euro-2026 in November 2024. In the first round, they lost to the Netherlands, and in the second, they won against the Faroe Islands.

The Ukraine national team will meet Kosovo on March 13 and 16.

Coach Vadym Brazhnyk commented on the preparation for the second qualifying window for Euro-2026. He noted that the team has suffered some losses in the squad. Players Dmytro Redkin and Danilo Savchuk did not make it to the roster due to illness. The coach emphasized that replacing players is difficult, so the team has 14 players. The difficult travel conditions did not spoil the players' mood, and they desire victory.

The coach also emphasized that the Kosovo national team is Ukraine's main rival in the qualifiers. He expects a tough match at the beginning of the meeting since the Kosovo team plays roughly. The coach believes in the strength of his team and encourages the players to play their game.

Ukraine national handball team roster:

• Goalkeepers: Terekhov Anton, Komok Hennadiy
• Field players: Kotyuk Yaroslav, Akimenko Andriy, Blyzniuk Illia, Denysov Zakhar, Artemenko Dmytro, Skyba Igor, Tylte Oleksandr, Turchenko Igor, Onufriienko Oleksandr, Dontsov Vladyslav, Burzak Ivan, Minotsky Taras

Standings in Ukraine's group:

1. Netherlands - 4 points (3 matches)
2. Faroe Islands - 3 (3)
3. Ukraine - 2 (2)
4. Kosovo - 1 (2)

After six rounds, in case of a tie in points, the key additional indicator is head-to-head results.