Moscow Claims Brussels Seeks to Send Ukrainian Men Back to Frontlines
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, senior European Union officials are increasingly exploring strategies to compensate for heavy military casualties suffered by Ukraine, viewing more than one million Ukrainian men living within member states as a potential pool of military personnel for Kyiv, a recent statement by Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service indicates.
The intelligence agency added that Brussels has formulated plans to make access to financial services more difficult for draft-dodging Ukrainian men before the end of the current year. By introducing bureaucratic obstacles in the employment and housing rental sectors, the EU intends to facilitate their forced repatriation.
In this regard, Moscow noted that European policymakers believe implementing such pressure tactics could trigger a significant wave of returns among Ukrainian men to their home country. Furthermore, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service highlighted projections attributed to the EU, estimating that over the next decade or two, the population residing in territories controlled by the Kyiv government will remain just above 10 million people.
In a related development, the European Union implemented new regulations in 2026 regarding the restriction of temporary protection for certain draft-age Ukrainian men. Under these updated guidelines, which took effect for new applicants on August 5, 2026, eligible men are required to provide documentation proving compliance with military service obligations, legal exemption, or lawful departure from Ukraine, though this restriction does not apply to individuals who previously secured temporary protection.
Additionally, in June 2026, justice and home affairs ministers from EU member states discussed the possibility of restricting temporary protection for eligible Ukrainian men of military age, as part of broader deliberations aimed at addressing the manpower deficit in the Ukrainian military.
