Russian armed aggression lasting since 2014 made millions of people abandon their homes and search for refuge in the government-controlled areas of Ukraine and out of country. However, many Ukrainian people stayed under the occupation, for different reasons. After the liberation of its territories, Ukraine will have to bring them back them to social, cultural, educational, economic, and political life. The government will have to find solutions to reduce social tension, and to build a dialogue and understanding between people who found themselves on different sides of the border.

This report presents the findings of the study of the attitudes of Ukrainian citizens staying to live in the territories of our country that had been occupied at different times. The study was commissioned by the Civil Network OPORA.

Methodology

The study was commissioned by the Civil Network OPORA, from July 3 to 17, 2023, with the method of tablet assisted personal interviews (ОСА САРІ software), in Ukrainian or Russian languages, upon respondent’s choice.

Sociologists interviewed 2,011 adult (18+) citizens of Ukraine residing in the Ukrainian government-controlled areas (at the moment of the field research stage) and are out of institutional settings (hospitals, prisons, or military service, which makes it impossible to sample from the regular households, etc.). Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts were originally excluded from the sample, for security reasons. Kherson Oblast was initially included but for security issues the objectives were implemented in the adjacent Mykolayiv Oblast. The internally displaced persons could also get into the sample and be interviewed, the same as other citizens of Ukraine.

Under usual settings, the margin of error in the sample (with the 0.95 probability and the 1.5 design effect) does not exceed: 3.3% for values close to 50%; 2.8% for values close to 25 or 75%; 2.0% for values close to 12 or 88%; 1.4% for values close to 5 or 95%; 0.7% for values close to 1 or 99%.

Key Trends
  • Most Ukrainians (76.6%) believe that residents of territories occupied after February, 24, 2022 are the hostages to the situation and to the occupiers, whereas as few as 13.2% think of them as of traitors, opportunists, or people not caring for Ukraine. At the same time, Ukrainians believe that people living under the occupation are mostly hostages to personal and family circumstances (44.7%), and only later – of the occupation forces (31.9 %). In general, the trend is also relevant for the attitudes of Ukrainians to people staying under the occupation since 2014.
  • More understanding attitude for Ukrainian people staying under the occupation after the full-scale invasion is found among Ukrainians living in the East (80.7%), South (79.3%), and Center (78.2%); and who speak Russian in everyday life (82.8%) or Ukrainian and Russian (79.9%).
  • Residents from the West and Ukrainian-speaking people have slightly worse attitude to those who stayed in the newly occupied territories. However, even among the, most respondents (70.7% and 73.3% of respondents, respectively) believe that people living under the occupation fronce February, 24, 2022, as preys to circumstances.
  • Respondents have worse attitude to those citizens who have lived under the occupation for the past 9 years, such as in Crimea, and in certain regions of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts (ORDLO)
  • Respondents have almost the same attitude to Crimea residents, and to residents from Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Crimean residents are believed to be hostages to the situation and to the occupiers by 47.5% of respondents. 50.4% of Ukrainians have the same attitude about people staying in ORDLO. On the other hand, 38.7% think of people staying to live in Crimea as of traitors, opportunists, or passive supporters of Russia. 37.7% have this opinion about current residents under the occupation in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
  • There is more understanding for residents living under the occupation since 2014 found among Ukrainians living in the South (54.8% have a positive attitude to Crimeans, and 67.8% reveal understanding for residents in ORDLO) and in the East (56.3% and 58.5% respectively); among Russian-speaking respondents (56.5% and 63.5% respectively), and among speakers of both Ukrainian and Russian (57.3% and 60.9% respectively), and also among people above 60 (49.5% and 52.1% respectively).
  • Residents who have been living under the occupation for the past 9 years enjoy less trust among Ukrainians living in the West and among Ukrainian-speakers, and also among younger respondents.
Occupied Crimea

Many Ukrainians (30.9%) believe that their compatriots who stayed to live in Crimea occupied since 2014 are the preys to the distressed life circumstances (personal, family). 17.8% of respondents believe that Crimean residents are political chameleons who do not care for who is in charge of them; 16.6% believe they are the preys to the occupation forces; 12.5% think of them as latent supporters of the “Russian world” ideology and of the Soviet Union; 8.5% of respondents think they are traitors who supported Russia’s armed aggression.

Differences in attitudes to the citizens of Ukraine who stayed in Crimea are only noticeable in the context of regions. Thus, citizens from the West and the Center are more critical for Crimean residents, citizens from the East and the South are less critical. For example, Crimeans are believed to be preys to distressed life circumstances by 23.4% of citizens living in the West, by 31.4% of Center residents, by 34.8% people from the South, and by 39.9% of respondents from the East of our country. Crimeans were labelled as traitors supporting Russia’s armed aggression by 10.5% of Ukrainians living in the West of Ukraine; by 8.9% of Center residents; by 5.9% of citizens from the East; and by 5.8% of respondents from the South.

The attitudes for Ukrainian citizens who stayed to live in Crimea is different among different age groups: the younger the Ukrainians the more critical they are about Crimeans. Residents of Crimea are treated as hostages to distressed life circumstances and to the occupation forces by 45.3% of respondents aged 18–29; 46.1% of respondents are from the category of 30 to 44 years of age; 48.4% of respondents are 45 to 59; and 49.5% are above 60. Current residents of the peninsula are thought of as opportunists, latent supporters of Russia, and traitors by 43.8% respondents aged from 18 to 29; by  41.2%  of respondents 30–44 years of age; by      36.1%  of respondents from 45 to 59; by 35.6% of people above 60. Crimeans are believed to be preys to circumstances and to the occupation forces by 45.3% of respondents from the 18 to 29 age group; by 46.1% of people aged from 30 to 44; by 48.4% of respondents from 45 to 59; and by 49.5% of 60+ respondents.

Different attitudes are also found depending on active language of communication. The most critical attitude to Crimeans is found among respondents who only speak Ukrainian: 43.4% of such respondents believe that citizens of Ukraine who stayed in Crimea are opportunists, passive supporters of Russia, and traitors. The same opinion is upheld by 31.8% of respondents who speak Ukrainian and Russian, and by 31.6% of Russian speakers. Crimeans are thought of as preys to dire situation and occupation forces by 57.3% of respondents who speak Ukrainian and Russian in everyday life; by 56.5% of Russian speakers, and by 41.5% of Ukrainian speakers.

Regions of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts Occupied Since 2014

Most Ukrainian respondents (35.9%) believe that Ukrainians who stayed in the temporarily occupied regions of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts (ORDLO) are hostages to distressed life circumstances (either personal or family-related). 16.3% of respondents think that ORDLO residents are opportunists who do not care about the authorities; 14.5% think of them as of hostages to the occupation forces; 14.3% believe they are latent supporters of Russia and the Soviet Union; and 7.1% think of them traitors who support Russa’s armed aggression.

Ukrainians have more loyal attitude to residents staying in certain regions of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts rather than to residents of Crimea. Ukrainians from the South and the East of the country have the highest trust levels to residents of ORDLO, while they enjoy the least trust among people from the West and the North. In particular, 48.1% of respondents from the North believe that Donbas residents are hostages to distressed life circumstances; 45.2% of respondents come from the East; 34% are from the North; and 27.1% of respondents choosing such attitude are from the West. Residents of the occupied regions of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts are considered traitors who supported the armed aggression by 10.8% respondents from the West of Ukraine; by 6.8% from the Center; by 4.2% from the South; and by 3.4% from the East.

ORDLO residents are also treated differently in different age groups. Most Ukrainians have more understanding for reasons making people stay under occupation. ORDLO residents were described as preys to the circumstances and the occupation forces by 52.1% of respondents above 60; by 51.6% of respondents aged from 30 to 44; by 49.4% of people aged 18 to 29; and by 47.7% of respondents from the age group 45-59. Far less Ukrainians of different ages believe that people staying to live under the occupation are opportunists, supporters of Russia and traitors. Such attitude is mostly shared by young people (41.9% of respondents who are 18 to 29). The attitude is least popular among respondents 60+ — they are 34.3%.

In terms of language of communication, respondents also have different attitudes. The same as for Crimea, Ukrainian-speaking respondents are most critical about ORDLO residents. Residents of the seized Donbass are considered hostages to difficult situation and to the occupation forces by 63.5% of Russian speakers; by 60.9% of respondents who speak Ukrainian and Russian; and by 42.3% of respondents who speak Ukrainian only. Ukrainian citizens staying to live in ORDLO are labelled as opportunists, passive supporters of Russia, and traitors by 44.4% of respondents who speak Ukrainian; by 29.4% of respondents speaking Ukrainian and Russian; and by 26.3% of Russian speakers.

Territories Occupied After February, 24, 2022, (Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, Kherson Oblasts)

Most Ukrainians (44.7%) believe that the residents of the newly occupied territories are hostages to dire life circumstances (personal or family-related). Such people are thought of as preys to the occupation forces by 31.9% of respondents; 6.7% of respondents think they are opportunists who do not care about the ruling authorities; 3.6% of respondents think they are passively supporting Russia and the Soviet Union. As few as 2.9% of respondents think that people staying to live under the occupation after February, 24, 2022, support Russia’s armed aggression.

Ukrainians from all regions have more understanding for people who found themselves under the occupation after February, 24, 2022, than for those who have been under the occupation for the past 9 years. Ukrainians from the newly occupied territories enjoy the highest trust levels among respondents living in the South, the East, and the Center; whereas the people from the West of Ukraine have less trust for them. Thus, Ukrainians from the newly occupied territories are believed to be hostages to the difficult life circumstances or to the occupiers by 80.7% of respondents from the South of Ukraine; by 79.3% of respondents from the East; by 78.2% of respondents from the North; and by 70.7% people from the West. Those who stayed to live under the occupation are considered as opportunists, supporters of Russia, and traitors by 7.8% of respondents living in the South; by 10.6% of respondents from the East; by 12.7% of respondents from the Center; and by 18.4% of respondents from the West.

​​There are no major differences in the attitudes to people staying to live in the occupied territories after February 24, 2022, among different age groups. 75% to 77% of Ukrainians believe they are hostages to distressed life circumstances of the occupiers. Young people and people above 60 have the best attitude to this category. Many fewer Ukrainians of different ages believe that those staying to live under the occupation are opportunists, supporters of Russia, and traitors. At the same time, the older the respondents, the less critical they are in this regard. This opinion is upheld by 10.7% of those who are between 18 and 29 years old, 12.8% of those who are from 30 to 44; 15% of those who are from 45 to 59; 15.3% of those who are older than 60.

Ukrainian-speaking respondents are more critical in their attitudes about those who stay under the occupation, Thus, residents of the territories occupied after February, 24, are thought to be hostages to the situation and to the occupation authorities by 82.8% of Russian-speaking respondents; by 79.9% of respondents speaking Ukrainian and Russian; and by 73.3% of Ukrainian speakers. On top of that, 15.2% of respondents speaking Ukrainian believe the citizens of our country who are staying in the newly occupied territories to be opportunists, passive supporters of Russia, and traitors of Ukraine. The same position is maintained by 12% of respondents speaking Ukrainian and Russian, and 9.5% of people who speak only Russian.