Ukrainian Analytical Digest (UAD)

The two contributions to Ukrainian Analytical Digest No. 19 focus on mobilisation issues. Yuliia Tsurkalenko (University of Regensburg) analyses Ukraine’s wartime mobilisation regime through the tension between the constitutional duty of national defence and the protection of fundamental rights. Yana Lysenko and Heiko Pleines (both Research Centre for East European Studies at the University of Bremen) examine how Ukrainian men of conscription age navigate compulsory military service under wartime conditions, based on 14 in-depth interviews.

This issue of the Ukrainian Analytical Digest brings together contributions on the displacement, integration and future prospects of Ukrainians who fled following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. The first article traces declining return intentions and evolving host-country policies, highlighting the growing importance of security conditions in Ukraine and upcoming legal transitions as temporary protection nears expiration. The next contributions focus on labour market integration. A comparative study across Central and Eastern Europe identifies key employment determinants, including pre-displacement activity, gender, and caregiving responsibilities, while pointing to challenges such as occupational downgrading and limited credential recognition. A country case study of Germany shows rising employment alongside a persistent gender gap, emphasising the role of language skills, social networks, and qualification recognition. The issue concludes with a case study of Ukrainian refugees in Transnistria, illustrating how legal uncertainty and local political conditions shape access to support and employment. Together, the contributions highlight the diversity of refugee experiences and the increasingly long-term nature of displacement across Europe.