Poll: 78% of Ukrainians have friends or relatives killed or injured in Russia’s war

The vast majority of Ukrainians have close relatives or friends who have been killed or injured in Russia's full-scale war, according to a recent poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology

On average, the survey respondents have seven family members or friends who fell victim to Russia's war since day one of the full-scale war. 

The vast majority of Ukrainians – 78% – have close relatives or friends who were injured or killed because of the Russian invasion.

On average, such respondents have 7 close relatives or friends who were injured or killed, the sociologists emphasized.

Experts noted that 64% of Ukrainians have at least one close relative or friend who was wounded, and 63% have at least one close relative or friend who has been killed.

This figure ranges from 70% in Ukraine's east to 80% in the country's western regions.

Russia's war against Ukraine has formed a tragic experience for the vast majority of Ukrainians. In all corners of Ukraine, the majority of the population has relatives or friends who were injured or killed in the Russian invasion, commented Anton Grushetsky, Deputy Director of KIIS.

According to Grushetsky, "the strong emotional saturation of this experience is a factor that brings different Ukrainians together and allows them to better understand each other. It helps to unite Ukrainians to work together to eliminate the enemy and achieve justice."

The poll was conducted on May 25-June 5, 2023. The KIIS surveyed 2013 people from across Ukraine, except those residing in Russian-occupied territories or who had fled the war abroad.

As for other surveys, more than 80% of Ukrainians consider their state successful.

According to a poll conducted in May this year, almost 80% of Ukrainians support closed borders, visas, and customs with Russia.