The Ukrainian government is stepping up efforts to encourage more Ukrainian refugees who fled to Germany from the war to return home, DPA reported.
As part of these efforts, so-called "unity centers" that will help Ukrainian refugees find jobs, housing, and training and education opportunities.
"A significant number of Ukrainians are seriously considering returning home," Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov told DPA.
Chernyshov, who was in Berlin last week and participated in preparations for the opening of the centers, heads the Ukrainian Ministry of National Unity, created in December specifically to support returning Ukrainians.
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, More than 1.1 million Ukrainians have fled to Germany - more than in any other country, DPA notes.
According to government figures, only 32 million people currently live in areas controlled by Ukrainian authorities, compared with 52 million when Ukraine declared independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The government in Kiev estimates that between 20 and 25 million Ukrainians live abroad.
Chernyshov said that in light of Ukraine's shrinking population, workers were urgently needed, especially in the arms industry, the energy sector and reconstruction. "These are critical enterprises or industries critical to us", the deputy prime minister said, adding that returnees would be exempted from military service if they worked in these sectors.
Ukrainians who choose to stay in Germany would also be supported, for example in finding work or professional qualifications. "They should not be a burden on the government," he stressed.