Resilience is a word frequently used to describe the way Ukrainian society has responded to the war with Russia. It’s a term that can inspire sympathy and mobilise support. But it also risks overshadowing effects of war that require both domestic and international attention to enable Ukraine to withstand Russia’s invasion and manage long-term recovery.
The protracted conflict that started with Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, continued with the war in Donbas and escalated into Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 has recently reached a new level of intensity through concerted Russian attacks on civilian targets. As a result, the effects of war at the level of individuals, communities and society at large are becoming ever more apparent.
