Despite intensified Russian attacks, 62% of Ukrainians ready to endure war as long as needed, poll finds
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Some 62% of Ukrainians are ready to endure Russia's war for as long as necessary, according to a Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) poll published Oct. 6.
The share has remained largely unchanged since late July and early August, despite the beginning of intensified Russian attacks using jet-powered drones and strikes on civilian infrastructure during the survey period. KIIS said the results show that the attacks had not led to a decline in Ukrainians' willingness to endure the war as of Sept. 21.
Another 4% of respondents said they were ready to endure the war for about a year, while 23% said they could continue for only several months or up to six months.
The remaining 11% were undecided.
"Despite the intensification of Russian terror against the civilian population — and the fact that our Western partners' response has not always been sufficiently decisive or backed by concrete actions — Ukrainians are prepared to continue bearing the burden of war until an acceptable peace is achieved," KIIS Executive Director Anton Grushetskyi said.
The survey was conducted from Sept. 12-21, when Russia had begun a new campaign of attacks involving jet-powered drones and strikes on civilian infrastructure. KIIS noted that the survey was completed before subsequent attacks on bridges across the Dnipro River.
The findings also show that 79% of Ukrainians believe Ukraine will ultimately win the war, including 47% who are certain of victory and 32% who said they rather believe Ukraine will prevail. Only 7% believe Russia will win, while 14% were undecided.
However, confidence in an eventual Ukrainian victory has declined since late July. At that time, 85% said they believed Ukraine would win, including 60% who were certain of it.
By September, the share who were certain of victory had fallen to 47%.
At the same time, 69% said they would support an immediate ceasefire along the current front line if Ukraine did not legally recognize occupied territories as Russian, continued strengthening its military, and maintained its path toward the European Union and NATO.
The poll was conducted through computer-assisted telephone interviews with 1,002 adults across all regions of Ukraine controlled by the government.
Residents of Ukrainian territories not controlled by Kyiv and Ukrainian citizens who left the country after Feb. 24, 2022, were not included.
