Ukraine at EuroVolley 2026 without Illia Kovalov

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Ukraine will head into the 2026 European Championship without one of the key pieces of the team that made history in this year’s Volleyball Nations League. Illia Kovalov has been ruled out of the tournament because of a health problem that requires surgery, leaving head coach Raul Lozano with an important gap to fill less than a month before the start of Euro 2026.

The news, first reported by local media, was initially revealed by Kovalov’s national-team teammate Vasyl Tupchii, who mentioned during a conversation that the outside hitter would need an operation. The exact nature of the problem has not been disclosed, but Ukraine’s coaching staff subsequently confirmed that Kovalov is currently absent from the team because of health issues.

His absence represents a particularly significant setback after what had been a breakthrough summer for Ukraine. The national team reached the VNL quarterfinals for the first time in its history, with Kovalov playing an important role on both sides of the ball. He was also Ukraine’s most effective receiver during the competition, making his loss particularly problematic for Lozano when it comes to maintaining the team’s balance in reception.

Ukraine are now preparing for the European Championship with a group of 18 players in Tallinn, where Lozano and his staff are working to reshape the squad ahead of the tournament. The biggest responsibility will naturally fall on Oleh Plotnytskyi, who remains one of the team’s most important attacking weapons and will likely be asked to shoulder an even greater workload in Kovalov’s absence.

There is, however, some positive news, as Tymofii Poluian has returned to the national team after missing the entire VNL campaign because of injury. The outside hitter is gradually working his way back into competitive rhythm following hand surgery and could become an important option during the European Championship. Dmytro Yanchuk, Yevhen Kisiliuk and Oleksandr Nalozhnyi complete the current group of outside hitters.

Another returning player is Oleksandr Boyko, who was also unavailable during the VNL because of injury.
According to assistant coach Agustin Briscoli, Boyko has replaced his younger brother Yevhen and has arrived in excellent physical condition. Interestingly, Ukrainian reports list him both among the opposites and the liberos, suggesting that Lozano may be considering him as a versatile option depending on the team’s needs.

The rest of the squad still offers plenty of experience and individual quality. Experienced opposite Vasyl Tupchii remains available, while middle blocker Yuriy Semeniuk continues to be one of the pillars of the team. Vitaliy Shchitkov, Yuriy Synytsia and Serhiy Yevstratov are the setters, with Maksym Tonkonoh and Boyko among the opposite options. In the middle, Lozano can also count on Maksym Drozd, Denys Veletskyi, Vladyslav Shchurov and Andriy Cheleniak, while Yaroslav Pampushko joins Boyko among the liberos.

Kovalov’s absence therefore does not take away Ukraine’s ability to compete, but it does force Lozano to solve a delicate tactical puzzle. After their historic VNL run, expectations surrounding this Ukrainian team are higher than ever, and replacing one of their most dependable receivers will be one of the coach’s biggest challenges.

Recall that, for EuroVolley 2026, Ukraine will compete in Pool B alongside Poland, hosts Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Portugal and Israel.

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