On February 24, 2026, Ukraine enters its fifth year of war after a full-scale Russian invasion of the country began in 2022. As war rages on, civilian casualties and mass displacement continue to impact people both in and from Ukraine. USCRI’s situation update will cover the mass displacement crisis, the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, and the dwindling refugee protections around the world for refugees seeking safety from the conflict.
Mass Displacement
Unrelenting Russian attacks are forcing many to leave their homes. For those who have sought safety outside of Ukraine, individuals are forced to make difficult decisions in the face of dwindling protections as governments impose stricter migration controls. Four years into full-scale war, Ukraine is a displacement crisis of mixed migration, or cross-border movements of both refugees and returnees. Since the start of full-scale war, around 6.9 million refugees from Ukraine have been registered around the world. With each move, people weigh the real risk of death, new trauma, and the possibility of having to uproot their lives for the second, third, or fourth time.
Civilian Deaths and Destruction
The year 2025 was the deadliest for civilians in Ukraine since 2022, the start of full-scale war. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) recorded 2,514 civilian deaths and 12,142 injuries. These numbers are 31 percent higher than in 2024 and 70 percent higher than in 2023.
Access to Basic Needs
Attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid have resulted in loss of power, heat, and water for civilians this winter. In a twelve-month period, 70 percent of the nation’s energy facilities were hit. On February 3, 2026, Russia launched its worst attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure this year, even after reassurances were made as part of peace negotiations. Parts of Kyiv were subject to emergency power cuts due to the damage, leaving people without power, heat, or water. Attacks on energy infrastructure have led to a rising concern for hypothermia-related deaths. On February 12, 2026, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called on Russia to stop attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during one of the coldest winters in recent years, citing temperatures as extreme as minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus four degrees Fahrenheit).
International Protection
Nearly all refugees from Ukraine in Europe are protected on a temporary basis. Only two percent of refugees have obtained other legal immigration status, such as refugee or asylee status. That means that the majority of refugees anticipate policy changes that may result in lapsed protections, immigration enforcement, and difficulty accessing social protection and benefits. Racialized minorities, such as the Roma, face exclusion and marginalization when seeking Ukrainian protections in Europe.
Uniting for Ukraine (U4U)
On January 20, 2025, under Executive Order 14165, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was ordered to scrutinize all “categorical [immigration] parole programs,” including U4U. As a result, Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) is now closed to new applicants and sponsors. On January 23, 2025, an internal U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) email directed a pause on all re-parole applications and other benefit requests, including asylum and adjustment of status, filed by U4U parolees while DHS conducts a review of parole policies.
On May 28, 2025, nonprofits and parole beneficiaries secured temporary relief in federal court, which stopped USCIS from categorically suspending re-parole and other immigration benefits applications adjudications. Still, delays persist. Long delays without explanation have caused uncertainty and distress for U4U beneficiaries, who fear losing access to protection benefits, detention, and deportation while waiting for a decision. Families who live under threat of immigration arrest and deportation have made the difficult decision to uproot their lives here in the United States and move to start over in Europe.
Read the complete update here
