A Duty to Defend:Survey Analysis of Citizen Wartime Engagement in Ukraine

When a society comes under attack, what distinguishes citizens who engage in the war effort from those who do not? And, recognising the multi-dimensionality of citizen wartime engagement, what explains variation in the mode, type, and degree of participation? Employing five waves of original, repeated cross-sectional survey data from Ukraine (2022-2024), we operationalize mode, type, and degree of civilian wartime engagement, proposing a theory of a “commitment to the cause” and “duty to defend it.” Cross-sectional regression analyses show that taking a strong position against territorial compromises is associated with combatant modes of engagement, whilst support for democracy, and reporting a strong sense of democratic civic duty, are strongly associated with civilian modes of engagement. Civic duty specifically distinguishes those who engage in civilian direct-action engagement, and to a higher degree. Limited panel analyses further suggest that strong civic duty increases the probability that citizens begin participating in new action.