On the eve of the fourth anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion, ongoing attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure continue to worsen living conditions for millions of people. According to new data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), an estimated 325,000 Ukrainians who have returned from displacement may soon be forced to leave the country again due to worsening conditions.
More than a third of these returnees are considering returning abroad again, according to Rubryka, citing the IOM Representative Office in Ukraine.
“After four years of war, resilience alone is no longer enough to get families through another winter of power outages and freezing temperatures,” said IOM Director-General Amy Pope. “Safe housing, reliable energy supplies and basic services are not luxuries, but fundamental conditions for people’s safety, survival and dignity. Without sustained support, energy outages could force families to leave their homes again, undoing the gains made in returns.”
As of January 2026, there are 3.7 million internally displaced persons in Ukraine. Since the escalation of the war, more than 4.4 million people have returned from displacement, including more than a million from abroad.
However, not all who crossed the Ukrainian border have been able to return to their homes: 372,000 people in this category remain internally displaced.
Amid winter temperatures of -20°C and prolonged emergency power outages across the country, intentions to leave Ukraine reflect mounting pressures from:
Insecurity
Destroyed housing
Limited access to electricity and heating
Winter needs remain acute across Ukraine. In major return areas, households are facing severe shortages of power banks, generators, and repair materials, with unmet needs in some frontline regions exceeding 90%.
Recent returnees are particularly vulnerable, often forced to rely on crisis coping strategies and report higher levels of psychological distress.
Since 2022, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has provided support to up to 6.9 million people in Ukraine, both directly and indirectly, as part of its large-scale crisis response. The organization has also assisted millions more in 11 countries across the region.
Through its extensive field presence, robust data and analytics, and partnerships with over 120 national and 150 regional organizations, IOM continues to deliver life-saving assistance while advancing recovery and long-term solutions for millions of people in Ukraine and beyond.
To prevent further displacement, IOM is calling on the international community to intensify efforts in winterization, shelter repair, livelihood restoration, and comprehensive mental health and psychosocial support services, with a particular focus on frontline areas and regions experiencing large numbers of returns. The organization warns that without timely and adequate assistance, prolonged power outages could spark new waves of displacement and threaten ongoing recovery efforts.
Background
It is worth noting that Ukrainians make up 67% of all foreign workers employed in the Polish economy, representing approximately 5% of the country’s total workforce.
It is worth noting that First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, highlighted positive progress in emergency relief efforts in Kyiv and the surrounding region.
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