As of April 30, 2026, a total of 155,233 Russian citizens officially reside in Ukraine, according to Natalia Naumenko, head of the State Migration Service of Ukraine. The majority of these individuals hold permanent residency permits and have lived in the country for decades, often due to familial or historical ties.
Naumenko revealed that out of the total number, only 900 individuals possess temporary residency permits, while 154,333 have permanent status. She emphasized that more than 95% of these residents have connections to Ukrainian citizens or share historical territorial origins.
Following the onset of the full-scale war, new employment opportunities for Russian citizens in Ukraine have largely ceased. In 2025, only 29 work permits were issued to Russian nationals, a significant decline from 1,243 permits granted in 2021.
“The decrease is by a factor of 43,” Naumenko stated, noting that each application is subject to individual scrutiny.
Additionally, data from the migration service indicates that the overall flow of crossings at the Ukrainian-Russian border has diminished to just 1% of pre-war levels.
It is noteworthy that a visa regime for Russian citizens was officially implemented in Ukraine in July 2022, following an initiative by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
As of April 2026, over 155,000 Russian citizens reside in Ukraine, primarily holding permanent residency. Employment opportunities for these individuals have sharply declined since the onset of the war, with a significant drop in work permits issued.