As of February 2026, there are over 1.4 million Ukrainian men aged 18 to 64 in the European Union who have received temporary protection status. The largest number of these citizens is concentrated in Germany — 312.2 thousand individuals.
This is reported by Finway
Distribution of Ukrainian men in EU countries
The second largest country is Poland, where 153.2 thousand Ukrainian men reside, followed by the Czech Republic with 129.3 thousand citizens of Ukraine. The top five also includes Romania (71.1 thousand) and Spain (63.5 thousand). Among other countries in the top ten by the number of Ukrainian men with temporary protection are the Netherlands, Slovakia, Ireland, Norway (which is not an EU member), and Bulgaria. In these countries, there are between 24.9 and 35.8 thousand Ukrainian men.
“As of February this year, there were about 1 million 42 thousand Ukrainian men aged 18 to 64 in 27 EU countries, according to Eurostat. This is 15.6% more than in February 2025.”
A significant number of Ukrainian men also live in Belgium (22.4 thousand), Austria (20.7 thousand), and Finland (20.1 thousand). Another 10.3 to 16 thousand Ukrainian men are in Switzerland (which is not in the EU), Sweden, Portugal, Denmark, France, Italy, Lithuania, and Latvia.
According to statistics, in February 2026, the number of Ukrainian men with temporary protection in the EU increased by 15.6% compared to February 2025. This is attributed to the easing of exit rules for certain categories of Ukrainians that occurred last year. The increase in the number of Ukrainian men is noted in almost all countries, except for France and Latvia, ranging from 4% to 45%.
The fewest Ukrainian men with temporary protection are in Estonia, Hungary, Greece, Croatia, Cyprus, Slovenia, Luxembourg, Malta, and Liechtenstein (the latter country is not an EU member).
Germany’s and Ukraine’s position on the return of men
On April 14, 2026, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that Berlin would facilitate the return of conscription-age men to Ukraine. He stated this during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to the Chancellor, the German and Ukrainian sides will work together to limit the number of conscription-age men seeking asylum in EU countries.
Volodymyr Zelensky supported Friedrich Merz’s initiative and emphasized that the relevant services of both countries should make efforts to return to Ukraine men of mobilization age who left the country in violation of the law.