The Ukrainian men’s volleyball team has confirmed its lineup for the first week of the 2026 Nations League, set to take place in China. The roster includes 15 players, featuring team leader Oleg Plotnytskyi, who recently announced his return to the national squad after concluding his international career in 2025.
Plotnytskyi’s participation in the opening week remains uncertain as he is currently in Europe awaiting a new Ukrainian passport. This delay has prevented him from joining the team in China ahead of their first match against Japan, scheduled for June 10.
Despite the logistical challenges, Plotnytskyi has been included in the list of players that coach Raúl Lozano is counting on for the tournament. Among the 15 players are five outside hitters, including the top scorer from the previous Nations League season, Dmytro Yanchuk.
Also included in the roster are two key players who finished the club season alongside Plotnytskyi: middle blocker Yurii Semeniuk and diagonal player Vasyl Tupchyi.
Ukraine’s Roster for the First Week of the 2026 Nations League
- Setters: Yurii Synytsia (Hebei, China), Vitalii Shchytkov (Epitsentr-Podolany)
- Libero: Yevhenii Boiko (Reshetylivka), Yaroslav Pampushko (Barkom-Kazhany)
- Diagonals: Vasyl Tupchyi (Barkom-Kazhany), Maksym Tonkonoh (Fano, Italy)
- Outside Hitters: Oleg Plotnytskyi (Perugia, Italy), Illia Kovalov (Barkom-Kazhany), Dmytro Yanchuk (Panathinaikos, Greece), Oleksandr Nalozhnyi (Epitsentr-Podolany), Yevhenii Kisiliuk (Rapid, Romania)
- Middle Blockers: Vladyslav Shchurov (Barkom-Kazhany), Yurii Semeniuk (Project Warsaw, Poland), Denys Veletskiy, Andrii Chelenyak (Epitsentr-Podolany / Ukraine U20)
The Ukrainian team is set to compete in the Nations League for the second consecutive year, a premier annual tournament for national teams. This event is one of two major competitions for Ukraine in 2026, with the European Championship also on the calendar for September.
Prior to the Nations League, the team engaged in three friendly matches, losing to Bulgaria and Poland with scores of 1-3, but concluding their preparations with a victory over Serbia, also by 3-1.
Ukraine’s Match Schedule for the First Week of the Nations League
- Wednesday, June 10, 15:00: Ukraine vs. Japan
- Thursday, June 11, 11:30: China vs. Ukraine
- Friday, June 12, 11:30: Ukraine vs. Cuba
- Sunday, June 14, 08:00: Ukraine vs. Poland
The Ukrainian men's volleyball team has announced its roster for the 2026 Nations League, with Oleg Plotnytskyi's participation uncertain due to passport delays. The team will compete in a series of matches in China starting June 10.