The EU announced on June 26 that it will extend protective measures for an additional year for the 4.4 million Ukrainians living in the bloc, but will no longer approve the entry of men of military age, following a request from the Ukrainian government.The tightening of eligibility for so-called "temporary protection" is a rising trend across Europe, with Denmark having made the same adjustment the day before, and countries such as Czechia drafting laws on what Ukrainians under temporary protection can do.The EU initiated temporary protection measures for Ukraine on the first day of Russia's full-scale invasion, but they have to be renewed on a yearly basis. Before the June 26 announcement, protections were set to expire in March 2027."We need clarity now (for Ukrainians in the EU)… this is why the prolongation we're doing is so early, rather than waiting for 2027 to do it," said Magnus Brunner, the EU's migration commissioner.Protections will now be in place until March 2028, while EU countries debate how to shift the system in place for Ukrainians onto a more stable, longer-term footing.The EU will, however, introduce a new restriction on military-age men, who are forbidden by national law from leaving Ukraine, from taking advantage of the temporary protection measures."This is what Ukraine has asked us to do," Brunner said.The roll-out of restrictive measures on military-age men has already provoked a sharp rebuke from the Council of Europe's Human Rights Commissioner, Michael O'Flaherty, who says the change raises human rights concerns."Issues related to military service may trigger protection claims, and member states must ensure access to individualized assessments," reads a press release issued by O'Flaherty's office.The new restrictions will not apply retroactively to men who have previously applied for temporary protection in the EU. Commissioner Brunner mentioned that people no longer eligible under the EU's temporary protection framework for Ukraine could still apply for asylum under the more general method.The new restrictions will enter force in a matter of weeks, as soon as EU countries formally adopt the measure and it is published in the official journal of EU law.