The emotional state of Ukrainians: fatigue, stress and hope for victory

The state of mental health of Ukrainians in 2025 remains difficult, but we all remain resilient. For more than three years of full-scale war, Ukrainians have been forced to live in conditions of constant stress, tension and high emotional stress. The difficulties experienced by our citizens have become part of their everyday lives, however, with each passing month, it turns out that the general mood is changing, although not for the better.

According to the eleventh wave of research on the socio-political mood of Ukrainians during the full-scale invasion, fatigue and tension have become the main emotional states of Ukrainians in 2025. At the same time, although the feeling of fear is still present, its share among citizens does not dominate – only 27% of respondents note it as the main feeling.

In contrast, 52% of respondents note that the main emotion is fatigue. 42% are people who are constantly experiencing tension, and 32% feel irritated. Most Ukrainians also have mixed feelings, including hope, powerlessness, and disappointment, each of which is mentioned by 31% of respondents.

Despite these heavy emotional burdens, there are other indicators that indicate resilience and faith in the future. For example, more than half of those surveyed (53%) are confident that Ukraine is able to defend its independence and defeat the aggressor. The feeling of confidence in victory persists despite all difficulties, and this is an important signal that the people remain strong and ready to fight.

Additionally, under the influence of the rhetoric of international leaders, in particular the newly elected US president, expectations for the end of the war in the coming years have increased. If in 2024 26% of respondents believed that the war would end by the end of 2025, now this opinion is shared by 37%. This indicates an improvement in the forecasts and hopes for a quick end to the fighting.

However, despite their belief in victory, Ukrainians also realize that the country’s recovery from the war is an extremely difficult and lengthy process. More than three-quarters of those surveyed believe that it will take more than 5 years to restore daily life in the country, 19% believe that this process will last up to 5 years, and 13% hope that Ukraine will be able to return to normal life in a few years.

Such sentiments indicate not only realistic assessments, but also a deep hope for a better future. Despite the difficult emotional state and a number of trials, Ukrainians remain confident in the strength of their country and its ability to recover from the war. 42% of those surveyed believe that after the war, Ukraine will become even stronger.

These results show the deep resilience and determination of Ukrainians, who, even in the most difficult times, do not lose faith in their country and its future.

The study was conducted by Terra U in cooperation with Gradus Research and consists of eleven waves of research on the attitudes of Ukrainians during the war: Wave I — February 28-March 1, 2022; Wave II — March 8, 2022; Wave III — March 28, 2022; Wave IV — April 20, 2022; Wave V — May 23, 2022; Wave VI — July 28-30, 2022; Wave VII — December 27-30, 2022; Wave VIII — April 24-25, 2023; Wave IX — December 20-23, 2023; Wave X — June 17-21, 2024; Wave XI — December 23-25, 2024. The sample reflects the population structure of cities with more than 50 thousand residents aged 18-60 by gender, age, settlement size, and region, excluding the temporarily occupied territories and territories of active hostilities. Sample size in the eleventh wave of the survey: 1100 respondents.