87% of Ukrainians convinced Russia will not stop at already occupied territories – KIIS poll

A sweeping 87% of Ukrainians think Russia has no intention of stopping at the territories it currently holds, according to a survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) released on Tuesday.

The poll found 66% of respondents are convinced Russia aims to destroy Ukraine and its people. Of those, 28% believe Russia seeks a physical genocide of Ukrainians, while 38% say it wants to seize more land and erase Ukrainian statehood and national identity.

Another 14% think Russia plans to capture more territory and install a puppet government, and 7% predict it will target Donbas, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts next. Combined, 87% see Russia pushing beyond its current gains.

Only 4% believe Russia just wants to keep what it has, and 3% picked “denazification” and demilitarization as its goal.

Across Ukraine, 80% in the east and south, and 89-90% in the west and center, agree Russia will not stop. On genocide or statehood destruction, 70% in the west, 68% in the center, 62% in the south, and 46% in the east share that view.

On January 2, 2025, KIIS found fewer Ukrainians willing to endure the war “as long as needed.”

On January 9, it explained waning trust in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

A February 19 poll gauged trust after Trump’s 4% claim.

Last month, 81% said ending the war requires a negotiated compromise with other nations involved.