Voices of the Displaced: Ukraine’s Wartime Diaspora at Home and Abroad

Since the full-scale Russian invasion of February 2022, Ukraine has witnessed one of the largest population displacements in Europe since the Second World War. Millions of people have been forced from their homes by shelling, occupation or economic collapse. Some have crossed international borders, joining new communities across the continent and beyond; others have sought shelter within Ukraine itself, often several times over. Collectively, these people form a vast wartime diaspora: fragmented by geography but united in resilience, shared memory, and the burden of representing a nation at war.

Internal Refugees: A Homeland on the Move

Within Ukraine’s borders, internal displacement has transformed the country’s demographic and civic landscape. As of mid-2025, it is estimated that over 4 million Ukrainians remain internally displaced. The largest flows originated from the Donbas region, southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, and areas surrounding Kharkiv and Kyiv early in the war. Many have resettled in Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, and other western cities; still others remain in rural villages, industrial hostels, and converted public buildings.

The challenges they face are immense: overcrowding, job scarcity, overburdened health and education systems, and the trauma of repeated evacuation. Municipal authorities have adapted with impressive speed, supported by international agencies and an active network of local volunteers. Ukrainian civil society—long one of the country’s strengths—has been the engine of emergency aid, housing, legal assistance, and emotional support.

Yet these displaced people are not merely victims. They are also contributors: opening small businesses, working in hospitals, teaching in schools, and participating in civic life. The sudden mixing of communities has hastened the formation of a unified Ukrainian identity, breaking down old regional divisions. Internal displacement has forced the country to reimagine who counts as a “local” and how collective belonging can be sustained under conditions of disruption.

Exile Abroad: New Lives and Lingering Longings

Alongside the internally displaced, over six million Ukrainians have fled the country since February 2022. While some have returned, many remain in exile across Europe, North America and beyond. Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic host the largest Ukrainian populations, but significant communities now also exist in Ireland, the Baltic states, the United Kingdom and Canada. Most are women and children—given the exit restrictions on adult men—and they carry both the responsibility of survival and the emotional weight of absent loved ones.

This diaspora has been a source of pride and anxiety. Ukrainian emigrants have succeeded in lobbying foreign governments, raising funds, sharing their stories with global audiences, and establishing aid networks to support soldiers and civilians alike. Their contributions have given a human face to Ukraine’s suffering and amplified the country’s diplomatic message abroad. Ukrainian-language schools, media, churches, and cultural centres have blossomed, ensuring that exile does not mean erasure.

At the same time, life abroad is seldom easy. Language barriers, limited job opportunities, trauma, and fear of permanent displacement create a volatile emotional terrain. Many Ukrainian refugees feel caught between two realities: building a life in a host country while yearning to return to one that may no longer exist as they knew it.

Memory, Trauma, and the Politics of Return

The question of return looms large over both internal and external displacement. Some internally displaced families have tried to move back to cities liberated from occupation—such as Kherson or parts of Kharkiv—but are met with devastated infrastructure, unstable security and few public services. Externally displaced people weigh the costs of repatriation against the fragile peace in certain regions and the futures they have begun to build elsewhere.

In both cases, the psychological effects of displacement are acute. War trauma, interrupted education, fractured families and prolonged instability have left deep marks on the mental health of adults and children alike. Ukrainian psychologists warn of a coming generational crisis: a society forced to rebuild while still in mourning. Despite this, community resilience remains strong. Group therapy sessions, children’s art initiatives and diaspora storytelling projects have emerged across Europe and within Ukraine to process collective grief.

A New Kind of Citizenship

The war has transformed the notion of Ukrainian citizenship—not just in legal terms, but as an idea of belonging. It is no longer defined solely by place, ethnicity or language, but by shared sacrifice, civic responsibility, and moral conviction. The displaced, whether in Odesa or Oslo, have helped to define this new Ukrainian subjectivity. Their acts of charity, organisation, and advocacy—often without public recognition—form part of the broader war effort.

In this way, the wartime diaspora is not just a humanitarian phenomenon but a political one. The voices of the displaced speak to the future Ukraine they wish to see: democratic, inclusive, European, and sovereign. As the country charts its eventual recovery, these communities—rooted in exile but dreaming of return—may become among her most passionate reformers.

Conclusion

Ukraine’s wartime diaspora, at home and abroad, reflects both the deepest wounds of the war and some of its most hopeful stories. Whether living in makeshift accommodation in Zakarpattia or attending school in Berlin, displaced Ukrainians are reshaping the country’s identity and international presence. Their voices must be heard not only in refugee registration offices and border queues, but also in the future rebuilding of Ukraine. They are survivors, yes—but they are also citizens, builders and authors of the national story yet to be written.