Ukrainian Refugees Across Europe Face Uncertain Future After Four Years of War

More than 5 million Ukrainian refugees remain scattered throughout Europe four years after Russia's invasion, with many caught between hope of returning home and building new lives abroad. Families remain separated as ongoing attacks and destroyed infrastructure make return dangerous, while younger refugees increasingly see their host countries as home.

Four years after fleeing her homeland, Maryna Bondarenko keeps three packed suitcases in her Polish apartment, ready for the day she can return to Ukraine.

The 51-year-old journalist escaped Kyiv alongside her son and mother when Russia began its invasion on February 24, 2022. Initially, she expected their exile would last just a month or two.

Today, Bondarenko remains in Poland, employed at a Ukrainian-language media outlet serving over 1.5 million Ukrainians now residing in the country.

“There were so many moments when we thought: ‘This is it, we’re finally going back.’ We went to the post office several times, packed our belongings into boxes, absolutely certain that we were going back,” she said.

The Russian invasion has created Europe’s most significant refugee emergency since World War Two, displacing more than 5 million Ukrainians throughout the continent, particularly in Central and Eastern European nations, according to United Nations data.

Women and children comprise approximately three-quarters of these refugees, as Ukraine’s martial law prevents military-age men from departing the country.

Bondarenko yearns to reunite with her spouse, Andrij Dudko, a 44-year-old former television cameraman now operating drones at the front lines. However, continuous Russian bombardments that have left thousands without electricity in Kyiv during harsh winter conditions have persuaded her to remain abroad.

“We get ready to leave, and then there’s another massive attack. We get ready again, and then cold winter comes and there is no heating, no power, no water. And I just can’t bring my child there, under the rockets.”

Major Polish cities like Warsaw and Krakow now host substantial Ukrainian populations, occasionally creating friction with locals who express concerns about newcomers accessing social services and employment opportunities.

“I want to go home, I really do. I know it won’t be easy,” said Bondarenko, acknowledging that her homeland will be dramatically transformed upon her return.

While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s administration anticipates 70% of overseas Ukrainians will return post-war, polling indicates a decreasing percentage express desire to go back as time passes.

Many younger Ukrainians abroad, including Bondarenko’s 11-year-old son Danylo, have limited recollection of their birth country.

Despite encountering some anti-Ukrainian sentiment at school, Danylo enjoys life in Poland.

“I don’t really remember anyone from Ukraine. I remember I had one friend, but I do not really remember him and I’ve lost contact with him,” he said. “I don’t think that I will return to Ukraine.”

Meanwhile, childhood friends Iryna Kushnir and Olga Yermolenko from Kharkiv have reconnected in Istanbul, joining the smaller Ukrainian refugee community in Turkey.

“I thought the war would end quickly, so I didn’t plan to stay in Istanbul for long,” explained 42-year-old Kushnir, who left her 19-year-old daughter Sofia in Ukraine to continue her studies.

Four years later, Kushnir has wed a Turkish citizen and secured a teaching position in Istanbul University’s Ukrainian program.

“Like all Ukrainians, I planned to return home, but life turned out differently,” said Kushnir, expressing pride that her daughter chose to stay in Ukraine.

Her companion Yermolenko, 43, provides remote financial services to Ukrainian clients from Istanbul while maintaining constant communication with her 73-year-old mother Tetyana in Kharkiv.

“I cannot say I am involved 100% in Turkish life. It is a bit strange feeling to be caught between your previous life and a possible future life,” said Yermolenko, who has begun studying Turkish while closely monitoring Ukrainian developments.

“I open the news — there’s a Telegram channel that reports what’s happening in Kharkiv in real time — and I see a missile flying toward my home,” she said. “In that moment, the feeling is terrifying. I’m very scared. And of course, I immediately call my mom to make sure she’s okay.”