In early February, the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) published the results of a survey conducted in late January. This was at a time when, following massive Russian attacks on energy facilities, parts of the country – particularly the capital Kiev – were facing acute shortages of electricity, heating and water. All this with temperatures dropping to minus 25 degrees.
According to 88 percent of respondents, Russia wants to force Ukraine to surrender by attacking its energy system. 65 percent of them said they were ready to endure the war for as long as necessary. In September and December 2025, 62 percent of respondents said the same.
"This January has not made me even more determined and angry, because I have been extremely determined and angry since 2022. This is simply another stage in an extremely difficult fight, which we will win, one way or another," Yulia from Kiev tells DW. Her husband, with whom she has a daughter, has been on the front line since 2024.
"What helps me the most is my anger to stay steadfast, but also the knowledge that we have no other option. Anything other than perseverance would be much worse," she adds.
"It's not just about justice, it's about survival"
Anton Hrushecki, director of KIIS, explains to DW that one of the key factors in the population's resilience is the awareness that Russia's war against Ukraine is existential. For Ukrainians, he says, it's not just about justice, but about mere survival.
"The resilience of Ukrainians remains high. On the one hand, they are exhausted and open to even difficult concessions. On the other hand, despite everything, they are not ready to cross the 'red lines,'" says Khrushchev. He adds that even Russia's attempts to create unbearable living conditions in Ukraine during the winter have not changed this attitude.
The sociologist states that Ukrainians are increasingly talking about the “Holodomor” today. The term is derived from the Ukrainian word “Holodomor,” which means “murder by hunger” and refers to the famine that the Stalinist regime systematically caused in Ukraine between 1932 and 1933. In this context, “Holodomor” is now used as a term for “murder by cold.”
Psychologist Kateryna Kudrchynska also points out that Ukrainians are exhausted by chronic stress. “It destroys the body, the nervous system and the psyche,” she says. According to her, the resilience of the population is also shaped by a psychological effect: after so many losses, people do not want to give up what is left to them.
"I want to rebuild my country"
"We want to hold on, because if we surrender, it would be much worse under Russian rule," student Natalia tells DW. She came to Kiev's Independence Square to plant a small flag in honor of her father, who was recently killed in the Donetsk region, at a makeshift memorial to the fallen soldiers. She admits that sometimes it's hard for her to hold on - the loss of her father, the extreme living conditions and the awareness of the seriousness of the situation in the country.
“I draw strength from living for my father, who wanted to live and build a future with his family. Because of him, I can’t just give up. Ukraine has a future, I’m convinced of that,” says Natalia, who fled abroad at the beginning of the war but later returned. “Ukraine is my homeland. I don’t want to leave. I want to rebuild my country.”
Olga from Kiev also wants to stay. "I can't just take my child by the hand and leave. That would be a betrayal of my husband, who is fighting in the war," she tells DW. Her husband volunteered to fight at the very beginning of the Russian invasion and is currently stationed in the Pokrovsk region. He comes home very rarely, says Olga, who is raising a two-year-old son and also works.
According to her, many Ukrainians are hopeful for the end of the war. They are noticing signs of economic problems in Russia and drawing hope from the fact that Russia has not managed to achieve any significant military victories even after four years. This, she believes, is what fuels the belief that everything will end well after all.
Mood among Ukrainian soldiers at the front
Serhiy (name changed) volunteered to join the Ukrainian Armed Forces as a medic four years ago. He believes that motivation and inner strength are weakening for several reasons: there are no clearly defined periods of service, demobilization opportunities are minimal, and financial support for soldiers not directly on the front lines is insufficient.
Kirilo (name changed), a communications officer in the ground forces, says his comrades have already come to terms with the lack of rest. “We’ve gotten so used to it here that we don’t even remember what it was like before. At the beginning, there were plans for the future, and now they’re gone. It’s not pessimism – it’s more a feeling that what has to happen will happen. It’s a kind of humility, not hopelessness,” he says.
Kirilo adds that the mood in the military is further burdened by corruption scandals in government and cases of embezzlement of funds intended for the defense industry. "At such moments, the feeling of being cheated is particularly strong," he tells DW.
“When I personally run out of motivation, all I have left is discipline and the awareness that Ukraine – this state, this nation, this identity – may not exist in the future if we don’t persevere and keep fighting,” says “Mos,” a soldier in a Ukrainian drone regiment. He too has faced burnout and apathy, but the awareness that there is no alternative has helped him.
A vision of a successful future for Ukraine
According to sociologist Anton Khrushchev, the resilience of Ukrainians at the end of the fourth year of the war is also shaped by the knowledge that European partners continue to support Ukraine, and that Kiev has the support of the modern, developed world. “Today’s suffering is seen as an investment in the future,” he says, adding: “Our latest data shows that more than 60 percent of citizens remain optimistic and believe that Ukraine will be a prosperous member of the European Union in ten years.”
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