40% of Ukrainians ready to relocate if conditions deteriorate 'significantly' this winter, poll reveals
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Some 40% of Ukrainians are prepared to relocate this winter if conditions in the country deteriorate significantly, a new poll released by Gradus on Sept. 16 revealed.
The survey, conducted by Gradus on Sept. 4–7, polled 1,000 Ukrainians aged 18–60 living in cities with more than 50,000 residents, excluding the occupied territories and areas with active hostilities.
In the lead-up to winter, Ukrainians are preparing for Russia to once again target the country's energy infrastructure in an attempt to make the country unlivable. Russia has already escalated its attacks on Ukrainian businesses in recent weeks, targeting supermarket distribution centers, postal facilities, gas stations, warehouses, railway infrastructure, industrial plants, and Black Sea ports.
According to Gradus polling, safety is the main factor that would prompt Ukrainians to relocate. However, only one in five respondents said they would consider going abroad — the rest would look for temporary relocation within Ukraine.
"Most" respondents said the decision to relocate would not be prompted by a "single inconvenience" but by multiple factors, such as infrastructure disruptions, safety concerns, and lack of access to healthcare, education, and other essential public services.
"There is an important shift in how Ukrainians are approaching the coming winter: they are increasingly less likely to see resilience as the ability to endure any hardship indefinitely," sociologist Evheniia Blyzniuk, Gradus' CEO, said.
"People are not panicking about possible difficulties, but nor are they relying on the assumption that things will somehow work out. They are assessing risks and preparing backup options."
