Ukraine’s Civilian Endurance Offers Finland a Lesson in Total Defense

Finland’s new study of Ukraine finds sustained essential services and strong local communities crucial to civilian resilience during prolonged war.

Photo by Jade Koroliuk on Unsplash

Keeping water running, homes heated and healthcare accessible helps sustain a society’s ability to endure war, according to new Finnish research examining civilian life during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) is presenting the findings of its CIVRES research project on October 23. The study examines how institutions, communities and everyday services have supported Ukrainians through prolonged insecurity, displacement and economic hardship.

Its central finding places civilian welfare at the heart of national preparedness. People’s psychological endurance depends partly on the practical support available around them, making public services and social solidarity integral to a country’s capacity to withstand sustained pressure.

Essential Services Sustain Endurance

Ukrainians have continued working, studying and caring for their families while living with persistent threats. The research identifies functioning essential services as an important foundation for maintaining these routines.

Reliable electricity, water, heating and communications help households organize daily life. Accessible healthcare supports people facing illness, injury and the accumulated strain of war. Restoring damaged infrastructure can also strengthen confidence that institutions remain capable of responding.

Laura Kestilä, a leading researcher at THL and head of the project, emphasizes that endurance can coexist with serious distress and exhaustion. A population’s continued ability to function can therefore accompany substantial demand for psychological and social support.

That distinction matters for preparedness planning. Continued attendance at work or school provides a limited picture of the pressures people carry and the assistance they need.

For Nordic policymakers, the findings suggest that the accessibility and continuity of welfare services deserve attention alongside physical infrastructure when assessing civilian readiness.

Solidarity Faces Sustained Pressure

Local organizations, volunteers and community services have helped Ukrainian public institutions respond to needs exceeding their capacity.

The research highlights flexible decision-making and cooperation between authorities and civil society as important sources of support, particularly for people in vulnerable circumstances.

Social trust helps these arrangements function. Residents need confidence in the institutions making decisions and in the people providing assistance.

Prolonged war also puts that trust under pressure. Displacement disrupts relationships, economic hardship strains households, and exhaustion reduces people’s capacity to support one another.

Minttu Tikka, a research manager at THL, warns that deep social divisions can weaken confidence in institutions and create vulnerabilities that external actors could exploit.

Ukraine’s experience consequently raises a practical question for northern Europe: how can preparedness systems sustain solidarity when a crisis repeatedly stretches public services and household resources?

Plan for Services Under Strain

The researchers recommend establishing minimum operating requirements, service priorities and alternative delivery arrangements before a crisis.

Jussi Sane, THL’s research and development program manager, highlights the need to maintain operations during shortages of personnel or failures affecting electricity, telecommunications and digital systems.

For municipalities and healthcare authorities, this means deciding which functions take priority and how residents will receive essential assistance when ordinary delivery methods fail.

The study draws on 288 publications and interviews with 34 experts, conducted between May and August 2026. Participants represented public administration, civil society, research, education, media, culture and business. Most interviews took place in Ukraine, with others conducted in Finland or remotely.

The interviews provide qualitative accounts of institutional and community experience. Establishing how widely particular experiences occur across Ukraine’s population would require representative research. Differences between Finnish and Ukrainian institutions also require careful assessment when translating the findings into Finnish preparedness measures.