1995–96 Ukrainian Second League
The 1995-96 Ukrainian Second League was the fifth season of 3rd level professional football in Ukraine.
The league was reorganized and, since being split three seasons ago, merged with the lower league tier known as Ukrainian Third League. Most teams of the lower league were promoted, while the Second League was divided into two groups based geographical location of clubs. The total number of participants was 43.
Teams
The league was merged with Ukrainian Third League bringing the top 16 teams of the 1994–95 league's season along with the newly promoted teams from amateurs.Promoted teams
- FC Kalush - Group 1 winner of the Amateur League '
- Haray Zhovkva - Group 2 winner of the Amateur League '
- Obolon Kyiv - Group 3 winner of the Amateur League '
- Sportinvest Kryvyi Rih - Group 4 winner of the Amateur League '
- Dynamo Sloviansk - Group 5 winner of the Amateur League '
- Portovyk Illichivsk - Group 6 winner of the Amateur League '
- Hirnyk Komsomolsk - Group 3 fifth place of the Amateur League '
- Shakhtar Sverdlovsk - Group 5 second place of the Amateur League '
- Prometei Dniprodzerzhynsk - Group 5 eleventh place of the Amateur League ''''
Relegated teams
- Karpaty Mukacheve – 21st place of the First League
- Ahrotekhservis Sumy – 22nd place of the First League ''''
Replaced/merged teams
- Olimpiya Yuzhnoukrainsk replaced withdrawn Artaniya Ochakiv
- Sportinvest Kryvyi Rih merged and replaced Sirius Kryvyi Rih
- Dynamo-Dahma Odesa replaced withdrawn Chornomorets-2 Odesa
- Metalurh Donetsk reorganized during the season in place of bankrupted Shakhtar Shakhtarsk
- Metalurh Mariupol, previously as Azovets, merged with and replace Dynamo Luhansk
- Temp-Advis-2 Khemlnytskyi before season was FC Advis Khmelnytskyi that merged with FC Temp Shepetivka becoming its reserve team
Withdrawn teams
- Okean Kerch withdrew before start of the season.
- Vahonobudivnyk Kremenchuk that was recently promoted from the Ukrainian Third League withdrew before start of the season.
Renamed teams
- Krystal Kherson was called Vodnyk Kherson
- Nyva-Kosmos Myronivka was called Nyva Myronivka
- FC Kalush was called Khimik Kalush
- Ros Bila Tserkva was called Transimpeks-Ros Bila Tserkva
- FC Kakhovka was called Meliorator Kakhovka
- Ahrotekhservis Sumy was called FC Sumy
- Skify Lviv was called Skify-LAZ Lviv
- Kosmos Pavlohrad was called Shakhtar Pavlohrad
- Shakhtar Shakhtarsk was called Medita Shakhtarsk
- Obolon Kyiv was called Obolon-Zmina Kyiv
- Dynamo-Flesh Odesa was called Dynamo-Dahma Odesa
- Metalurh Mariupol was called Azovets Mariupol
Group A
Top goalscorers
| Scorer | Goals | Team | |
| 1 | Andriy Heto | 18 | Avanhard Zhydachiv |
| 2 | Vasyl Fedoriv | 16 | Kalush |
| 2 | Andriy Pshenychnykov | 16 | Krystal Kherson |
| 4 | Petro Pylypeiko | 15 | Desna Chernihiv |
| 5 | Oleh Bychenko | 12 | Obolon Kyiv |
| 5 | Anatoliy Lukashenko | 12 | Keramik Baranivka |
Group B
Top goalscorers
| Scorer | Goals | Team | |
| 1 | Yuriy Hetman | 15 | Metalurh Mariupol |
| 1 | Oleksandr Kryvoruchko | 15 | Oskil Kupiansk |
| 3 | Vasyl Herasymchuk | 14 | Chaika Sevastopol |
| 3 | Kostiantyn Pinchuk | 14 | Metalurh Mariupol |
| 5 | Vadym Vasiliev | 13 | Metalurh Donetsk |
Play off
Play off game was announced as soon as FC Naftokhimik Kremenchuk that competed in the First League decided to withdraw from competitions. The game was scheduled among two runners-up from each of two groups FC Krystal Kherson and FC Metalurh Donetsk.''Metalurh Donetsk won play off game and promoted to the 1996-97 Ukrainian First League.''