The Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) released a poll in early February gauging Ukrainians’ views on the war. The survey, carried out in late January, captured public opinion during a wave of large Russian strikes on energy infrastructure that caused power cuts and disrupted heating and water systems nationwide, hitting Kyiv especially hard as temperatures fell to around minus 25 Celsius.
KIIS found 88% of respondents believed the Russian attacks on energy systems aimed to force Ukraine to surrender. Still, 65% said they were willing to endure hardship for as long as needed — up from roughly 62% in polls from September and December 2025.
“This January didn’t make me more determined and angry, because I’ve been very determined and angry since 2022,” said Julia, who lives in Kyiv. Her husband has been deployed since 2024. “It’s just another stage of an extremely difficult battle that we will win one way or another.” She said anger and the sense that there is no acceptable alternative help keep her steadfast.
KIIS director Anton Hruschezkyj said a key element of Ukrainians’ resilience is the perception that Russia’s campaign threatens their very existence. For many Ukrainians the fight is not only about justice but about survival. He noted that while people are tired and may tolerate difficult concessions, they are unwilling to cross certain “red lines.” Russian efforts to make daily life unbearable have not broken that resolve; some Ukrainians now describe the hardship as “Cholodomor” or “murder by cold,” echoing the Holodomor famine of 1932–33.
Psychologist Kateryna Kudrschynska pointed to chronic war stress wearing on bodies and psyches. She said resilience also comes from refusing to give up after such deep sacrifice.
Many Ukrainians say they want to stay and rebuild. Student Natalia, who returned to Kyiv after initially fleeing abroad, laid a small flag at an impromptu memorial in Independence Square for her father, who died in Donetsk. She finds it hard to cope with loss and harsh living conditions but draws strength from her father’s wish to build a future with his family: “I can’t give up because of him. I am convinced that Ukraine has a future.”
Olha, a Kyiv mother of a two-year-old whose husband volunteered at the start of the invasion and now serves in the Pokrovsk region, said she cannot take her child and leave. She balances raising their son and part-time work while her husband is rarely home. She and others take comfort in Russia’s economic problems and its lack of decisive military victories over four years, which feeds optimism that things will turn out well.
Soldiers, however, report exhaustion. Serhij*, a medic who volunteered four years ago, said motivation has slipped because deployment periods are open-ended, demobilization is scarce and non-frontline soldiers receive inadequate financial support. Kyrylo, a telecommunications specialist, said troops have resigned themselves to a new normal without rest or long-term plans, describing it as a humbled acceptance rather than outright despair.
Morale has also been dented by corruption scandals and misappropriation in defense-related funds. Such revelations leave soldiers feeling cheated, Kyrylo said. Mos, who serves in a drone regiment, admitted to burnout and apathy at times, but said discipline and the belief that Ukraine’s national identity could vanish without resistance help restore his drive.
Hruschetskyj argued that the willingness to keep fighting as the conflict enters its fifth year also relies on continued support from European partners. He said the present suffering is seen by many as an investment in the future: KIIS data show over 60% remain optimistic that Ukraine will be a prosperous EU member within a decade.
The names of three soldiers quoted in this story have been changed to protect their identities.
This article was originally published in Ukrainian.