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BRUSSELS, Belgium, June 17, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The EU plans to allow Ukrainian refugees to stay in the bloc for another year -- but with some exceptions, the union's chief said Wednesday, indicating likely restrictions for men of military age.

The 27-nation European Union granted Ukrainians temporary protection after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, a measure rolled over several times and currently set to expire next March.

More than 4.3 million Ukrainians currently benefit from the scheme, which grants them residence permits, the right to work, and access to medical assistance, social welfare and education.

In a letter to EU leaders ahead of a Brussels summit this week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc will "offer protection to Ukrainians as long as needed" -- with some limitations.

"The Commission will propose to prolong the temporary protection to people fleeing the war in Ukraine, while limiting its scope to ensure that any further extension would not undermine the legitimate ability of Ukraine to defend itself," she wrote.

The move comes as some member states -- which have to approve the scheme's renewal -- have pushed for men of conscription age, who are not allowed to leave Ukraine, to be excluded from it.

It was not immediately clear if any such limitation would apply only to new arrivals or also to men already living in the EU.

The Ukrainian army has struggled with severe manpower shortages after more than four years of fighting off the gruelling Russian invasion, with few people willing to enlist voluntarily.

Mobilisation is unpopular and conscription efforts criticised as aggressive have led to pockets of discontent amid the war.

Adult men account for about 27 percent of all Ukrainians currently benefiting from EU protection, with women making up 43 percent of the total and minors another 30 percent, according to EU data.

Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic host the largest communities.

Last year the commission stated for the first time that the protection regime will at some point end, telling member states to start paving the way for a transition out of the system.