poll: 81% of Ukrainians believe that the government is not prepared for war
1 October 15:26
The vast majority (81%) of Ukrainians continue to believe that Ukraine has not done enough to prepare for a full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022. This is evidenced by the results of a survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
These figures have remained almost unchanged over the past six months, indicating a stable perception of past events.
The main indicators of assessments
81% of respondents believe that the state’s efforts were not enough. Of these, 37% believe that the state has rather made insufficient efforts, although it has done something. Another 44% are convinced that the preparations were completely insufficient.
At the same time, 16% of respondents believe that Ukraine has done rather or completely enough to prepare. Of these, 14% said that the country had rather done enough, but there were miscalculations. Only 2% believe that the preparations were completely sufficient.
In all regions of Ukraine, the majority of people believe that the efforts made by Ukraine were insufficient.
Reasons for this assessment
The results of the survey show that there is no clear consensus among the population on the reasons for insufficient preparation for the invasion. Thus, the majority of respondents said that the political authorities failed to make the necessary efforts (46% of those who believe that Ukraine was not ready; in February 2025, the figure was 41%).
In addition, quite a few respondents said that the population itself did not believe and was not prepared (35%, in February 2025 – 32%), that Russia had too many resources (21%, previously – 15%), the influence of pro-Russian forces and agents (17%, that the military command failed to make adequate efforts (15%, previously – 13%), that there was insufficient support from the West (15%, previously – 16%), that it was objectively impossible to prepare and take everything into account during this period (14%, previously – 10%).
Among those who believe that the preparations were imperfect or completely insufficient, the following factors are most prominent:
| Reason | Share of respondents (%) |
|---|---|
| Political authorities failed to make the necessary efforts | ~ 46 % |
| The population did not believe and was not prepared | ~ 35 % |
| Russia had too many resources | ~ 21 % |
| Pro-Russian forces/agents in Ukraine undermined preparations | ~ 17 % |
| Military command underestimated or failed to act adequately | ~ 15 % |
| The West did not provide sufficient support | ~ 15 % |
| It was objectively impossible to take everything into account and prepare | ~ 14 % |
Regional differences
The assessments and beliefs of residents of different regions are similar in terms of the main trends, but with some local tints:
- In the West of Ukraine, the majority of respondents name “insufficient efforts of the authorities” as the main reason.
- In the Center, South, and East, a greater role is assigned to the fact that the population did not believe or did not consider the threat real.
