Ukraine's President Zelenskiy visits a petrol station in Donetsk region
Reuters

KEY POINTS

  • The survey polled Ukrainians aged 18 and older across the country
  • Less than 1% said Ukraine will 'definitely' lose in the war
  • Less than 90% Ukrainians in the east said they believe their country has a promising future

Nearly all Ukrainians believe their country will win its war against Russia, with a similar number saying they think Ukraine's future is promising, according to a poll.

A recent public opinion survey conducted by the International Republican Institute's (IRI) Center for Insights in Survey Research (CISR) found that a total of 97% of Ukrainians believe their country will secure victory in its war against Russia. Among those who said so, 82% said Ukraine would "definitely" win and 15% said Ukraine would "likely" succeed.

In comparison, only 2% said they believe Ukraine will "likely" lose in the war and less than 1% said Ukraine will "definitely" lose.

The IRI's survey also asked Ukrainians what they see for their country's future. At least 93% said they see a "rather promising" prospect compared to 3% who said they see a "rather hopeless" future. The answer, however, varied depending on the region.

About 93% to 95% of people living in center, south and west Ukraine said they see a promising future for the country amid Russia's invasion. That number dropped to 88% among people living in the country's eastern parts, which witnessed some of the bloodiest battles in the war over the past months. The embattled towns of Avdiivka and Bakhmut, for instance, are located in the east, particularly in the temporarily occupied region of Donetsk.

"Even after a year of relentless attacks from the criminal regime in Moscow, Ukrainians continue to rally behind their wartime leader, President Zelensky," IRI's Senior Director for Eurasia Stephen Nix said in a statement. "Vladimir Putin has not only failed to dent their resolve, he's hardened Ukrainian support for winning the war without any territorial concessions."

The survey was conducted by the Sociological Group "Rating" on behalf of the CISR. At least 2,000 Ukrainian aged 18 and older from across Ukraine, except for Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk, were polled from Feb. 1 to 5, 2023.

The poll comes as Russia's invasion of Ukraine extends into its 14th month. Since the war began in February last year, Moscow has lost a total of 172,340 military personnel, including 610 who were killed over the past day, per estimates from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

Ukrainian servicemen load an artillery unit before firing at Russian positions in east Ukraine
AFP