Winter in the Fifth Year of the Ukraine War

Ukrainian citizens are stoically entering the fifth year of the war between Ukraine and Russia in the winter. In fact, the attacks occurred as temperatures dropped to minus 25 degrees Celsius.

Summarized by detikcom, Wednesday (25/2/2026), the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) published a poll in early February examining the attitudes of Ukrainian citizens towards the war.

The survey was conducted at the end of January, when large-scale Russian attacks on energy facilities caused power outages and disruptions to heating and water systems throughout the country, especially in Kyiv.

The attacks occurred as temperatures dropped to minus 25 degrees Celsius.

The KIIS poll found that 88% of respondents believe that Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy system are aimed at forcing the country to surrender. However, 65% of those interviewed said they were ready to endure as long as necessary. Several months earlier, in September and December 2025, about 62% said the same.

“This January didn’t make me more determined or more angry, because since 2022 I’ve already been very determined and angry,” said Julia, a Kyiv resident, to DW. “This is just another stage of a very difficult battle that we will eventually win one way or another.”

Julia’s husband, who has a daughter with her, has been assigned to the battlefield since 2024. “My anger helps me stay strong, but also the awareness that there is no other choice. Anything other than standing firm would be much worse,” said Julia.

Justice and Survival

One of the most important factors strengthening the resilience of the community is the awareness that the Russian war against Ukraine is existential, said KIIS head, Anton Hruschezkyj. For Ukrainian citizens, he explained, this war is not just about justice, but about survival. “The resilience of Ukrainian citizens is still high. Although they are tired and open to making difficult concessions, they are not ready to cross certain ‘red lines’,” he said.

Rusia’s efforts to make the daily lives of Ukrainian citizens unbearable do not change this mindset, he said. Ukrainians are beginning to refer to this suffering as “Cholodomor,” or “killing through cold.” This term comes from “holodomor,” which means “death from starvation,” the name given to the man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine under the Josef Stalin regime in 1932 and 1933.

Ukrainian citizens are exhausted by the prolonged stress of war, said psychologist Kateryna Kudrschynska. “This has an impact on the body, the nervous system, and the psychological condition.” She believes that Ukraine’s resilience is also rooted in the refusal to lose more after so many sacrifices have been made.

Ukrainian Citizens Want to Rebuild Their Country

“We want to survive, because if we surrender, the situation will be much worse under Russian leadership,” said Natalia, a student living in Kyiv, to DW. She came to Independence Square in the capital to lay a small flag on an emergency memorial for fallen soldiers, to commemorate her father. Her father recently died in the Donetsk region of Ukraine.

The student, who had previously been displaced abroad at the beginning of the war before eventually returning, sometimes finds it difficult to bear the loss of her father, the extreme living conditions, and the overall situation in the country. “I draw strength from the fact that I live for my father, who wanted to live and build a future with his family,” she said. “I can’t give up because of him. I’m sure Ukraine has a future. Ukraine is my home, I don’t want to leave. I want to rebuild my country.”

Olha is another Kyiv resident who continues to persevere. “I can’t take my child’s hand and just leave,” said the mother of a two-year-old. “That would be a betrayal of my husband, who is fighting.” Olha’s husband volunteered to defend Ukraine at the beginning of the Russian invasion and is now stationed in the Pokrovsk region. He rarely comes home. Olha is raising their son while working part-time.

She said that her fellow citizens see Russia facing economic problems and are amused by the fact that Russia has not yet succeeded in achieving significant military victories in four years. Because of this, she believes that Ukrainian citizens remain optimistic that everything will end well.

Tired Soldiers Still Determined

Serhij* volunteered to join the Ukrainian armed forces as a medical worker four years ago. He said that the fighters are becoming less motivated and less resilient because there are no fixed terms of service, almost no opportunities for demobilization, and inadequate financial support for soldiers who are not stationed on the front lines.

Kyrylo serves as a telecommunications specialist in the Ukrainian army. He told DW that his comrades have become accustomed to the lack of rest: “We’ve gotten so used to it that you don’t even remember what it was like before. If you used to have plans for the future, now there are none. This is not pessimism. It’s more like: ‘Whatever happens, let it happen.’ It’s a kind of resignation, not despair.”

Kyrylo admitted that the atmosphere in the military is tense due to government corruption scandals and cases of abuse of funds in the defense industry. Such revelations make him and his comrades feel betrayed.

“Personally, when my motivation decreases, what remains is discipline and the awareness that Ukraine, this nation, this identity may no longer exist if we do not persevere and fight,” said Mos, who serves in the Ukrainian drone regiment. He also faces fatigue and feelings of apathy. However, Mos said