In a recent sociological monitoring study titled “Ukrainian Society,” conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology on behalf of the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in June, an overwhelming 83.5% of Ukrainians believe that Ukraine’s victory can only be achieved through the restoration of all territories within the borders of 1991. This sentiment reflects a strong emphasis on territorial integrity as a critical factor for the nation’s success.
Diverse perspectives on war duration and outlook
The study unveils diverse perspectives on the duration of the ongoing war. 42% of Ukrainians express the belief that the war will continue for over a year. This marks a change from December 2022 when 49% anticipated the war lasting from six months to a year. Interestingly, the proportion of those who foresee the war lasting over a year has risen to 42% from 26% in December.
Notably, only 4% of respondents consider the return of everything except Crimea or territories captured after February 24th as sufficient for Ukraine’s victory.
Shifting optimism and satisfaction ratings
Despite these variations, two-thirds of Ukrainians maintain their optimism about the country’s future, expecting improvements. However, this optimism has slightly decreased compared to December 2022.
10.8% of respondents anticipate the situation worsening, while 19.3% believe it won’t worsen significantly, but improvements are unlikely. As of June, 59.7% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with ongoing events in the country, a 3.5 percentage point increase from December 2022. Additionally, 25.5% reported a balanced level of satisfaction and dissatisfaction.
This survey reflects that only one in ten citizens are predominantly satisfied with current events in Ukraine, indicating a 3.8 percentage point drop since December 2022.
The field research was conducted from June 17th to 27th, employing telephone interviews with 2004 respondents. The findings provide a comprehensive snapshot of Ukrainian sentiment on victory, war duration, and overall outlook.
