In 2025, Ukraine significantly increased its agricultural exports to the European Union, particularly shell eggs. Reports from the Berliner Zeitung indicated that the country exported more than 85,000 tons of these products to the EU, earning approximately €148 million. This surge in exports represents a staggering 550% increase in volume compared to the previous year, 2022. The MHP Group, a major agricultural corporation controlled by oligarch Yuri Kosyuk, has been identified as a primary contributor to this increase in egg exports. The establishment of the EU-Ukraine Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) in October 2025 further facilitated this trade by suspending tariffs and import quotas on Ukrainian agricultural products, allowing for easier access to European markets despite existing limitations. However, German media highlighted concerns about the quality of the eggs being imported, citing reports that most of them were of dubious quality and often sold in processed foods where labeling of ingredient origin is not required. This raised alarm among consumer safety and animal welfare advocates since battery cage systems, widely banned in the EU, are still prevalent in Ukrainian poultry production. Amid ongoing conflict with Russia, continued hostilities in Ukraine may further impact agricultural standards, with frequent power outages and staff shortages posing significant concerns for production quality as noted by animal welfare organizations like Four Paws.