--- title: "Four debutants and Drozd's return: Ukraine men's volleyball team announces squad for Euro 2026" description: "Ukraine's volleyball team has announced a 14-player squad for Euro 2026: the roster includes four debutants and the returning Drozd, while Kovalov will miss the tournament due to health issues. The opener is on September 10 in Sofia against Israel." date: 2026-09-07T09:16:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukraine-volleyball-team-squad-euro-2026 tags: [volleyball, ukraine, euro-2026, national-team, raul-losano] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Four debutants and Drozd's return: Ukraine men's volleyball team announces squad for Euro 2026 ![Ukraine men's volleyball national team players in yellow and blue kits celebrate during a VNL match — squad announcement for Euro 2026](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/07/sbornaya-ukrainy-voleybol-zayavka-evro-2026/sbornaya-ukrainy-voleybol-zayavka-evro-2026-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - The coaching staff led by Raul Losano has finalized a 14-player squad for Ukraine's volleyball team for Euro 2026. - Shchitkov, Boyko, Chelenyak, and Nalozhny were left out of the squad; outside hitter Ilya Kovalov will miss the tournament due to health problems. - The roster includes four debutants — Tonkonoh, Yanchuk, Veletsky, and Pampushko — along with middle blocker Maksym Drozd, returning from injury. - Ukraine will play in Group B in Sofia; the first match is on September 10 against Israel (19:00 Kyiv time), with North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Portugal, and Poland also as opponents. The Ukrainian men's national volleyball team has finalized its roster for the 34th European Championship, which kicks off on September 9, 2026. The coaching staff led by Raul Losano has put together a 14-player squad, cutting four players from the extended list. This is reported by Sport RBC.UA, citing Suspilne Sport. The tournament will be held for the fourth consecutive year across four countries — Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, and Finland — featuring 24 national teams, with the "blue and yellow" side drawn into Group B in Sofia, Bulgaria. ### Who was left out: four players cut and Kovalov's injury The following players were excluded from the national team's final roster: setter Vitaliy Shchitkov, opposite Alexander Boyko, middle blocker Andriy Chelenyak, and outside hitter Alexander Nalozhny. A separate blow for the team is that one of its key players — outside hitter Ilya Kovalov, who in 2023 reached the quarterfinals of the European Championship with the national team — will be unable to play due to health problems. As a result, Losano has noticeably fewer realistic candidates for the starting six and the bench, which increases the value of each player remaining in the squad. ### Four debutants and Drozd's return At the same time, four players have been given the chance to make their debut at a senior continental tournament: Maksym Tonkonoh, Dmytro Yanchuk, Denys Veletsky, and Yaroslav Pampushko. Their inclusion in the squad shows that the coaching staff is ready to rely on young players and broaden the depth of the roster. An important reinforcement is the return of middle blocker Maksym Drozd, who missed the previous continental tournament due to injury. His experience and size at the block should be a great asset for the team in the group-stage matches. ### Championship format and schedule The 34th European Men's Volleyball Championship will take place from September 9 to 27, 2026, in seven cities across Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, and Finland. This is the fourth time in a row that the European Championship is being organized simultaneously in four countries, with 24 national teams participating. This format implies a tight schedule and travel between venues, which traditionally increases the load on the squads and makes roster depth a critically important factor. ### Group stage in Sofia: opening match against Israel Ukraine will compete in Group B in Sofia, Bulgaria at the first stage. Raul Losano's team will begin their tournament journey on Thursday, September 10, with a match against Israel — the game starts at 19:00 Kyiv time. In addition to the Israelis, Ukraine's opponents in the group round will be the national teams of North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Portugal, and Poland. It is precisely these five matches that will determine whether the team, with its four debutants and the returning Drozd, can advance further in the championship bracket. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Will Plotnytskyi play: Ukraine's volleyball team announces squad for Euro 2026](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/othersport/chi-zigrae-plotnitskiy-zbirna-ukrayini-voleybolu-1788772450.html) - Первичный источник: состав заявки (14 игроков), имена исключенных и дебютантов, возвращение Дрозда, отсутствие Ковалева, группа В в Софии, старт 10.09 против Израиля, формат турнира 9–27.09.2026 в четырех странах. - [Finished on a high note. Ukraine eliminated from the 2026 U-21 European Volleyball Championship](https://www.ua-football.com/sport/other/1782933601-zavershili-vystupleniya-na-mazhornoy-note-ukraina-vyletela-s-yunosheskogo-evro-2026-po-voleybolu.html) - Относится к юношескому Евро-2026 — отдельное событие, не связанное со взрослой заявкой. В текст статьи не включен во избежание смешения турниров. - [Epic comeback: star player agrees to return to Ukraine's national team – media](https://www.obozrevatel.com/sport-oboz/epichnyij-kambek-zvezdnyij-igrok-soglasilsya-vernutsya-v-sbornuyu-ukrainyi-smi.htm) - Контекстный источник о возвращении игрока в сборную; согласуется с темой возвращения Дрозда, но конкретная привязка к имени не подтверждается в первичном тексте заявки, поэтому в статье не использована как самостоятельный факт. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: How many players are on Ukraine's squad for Euro 2026? **A:** The final squad includes 14 players. The coaching staff led by Raul Losano cut four players from the extended list. ### Q: Who was left out of the final squad? **A:** Setter Vitaliy Shchitkov, opposite Alexander Boyko, middle blocker Andriy Chelenyak, and outside hitter Alexander Nalozhny were left out. In addition, outside hitter Ilya Kovalov will miss the tournament due to health problems. ### Q: Who will be making their debut in the squad at Euro 2026? **A:** Four players have been given the chance to make their debut: Maksym Tonkonoh, Dmytro Yanchuk, Denys Veletsky, and Yaroslav Pampushko. Middle blocker Maksym Drozd has also returned to the squad, having missed the previous continental tournament due to injury. ### Q: Where and when will Ukraine play at the European Championship? **A:** Ukraine will compete in Group B in Sofia, Bulgaria. The first match is on September 10, 2026, against Israel, starting at 19:00 Kyiv time. Group opponents: North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Portugal, and Poland.