Migration and Resilience of Ukraine Communities: Challenges in the War Conditions

The issue of involuntary internal migration is increasingly worsening within society. The military aggression by Russia towards Ukraine, including the annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the ongoing military conflict in Donbas, has led to an unparalleled displacement of both internal and external Ukrainian populations. The compelled migration of populations has presented Ukraine with significant challenges across various domains: socioeconomic, political, legal, and socio-psychological. Drawing upon extensive analysis conducted by both foreign and Ukrainian scholars on forced migrations, the primary issues faced by Ukrainian internally displaced persons (IDPs) were identified. In the article, the temporal, structural, dynamic, and regional characteristics of forced displacements during both the initial (2014) and subsequent (2022) waves of migration were established. The impact of warfare and associated internal population displacement on Ukrainian communities was examined, aiming to uncover both the potential advantages and risks faced by these communities amidst conflict, towards achieving stability. Territorial features of the displacement of IDPs have been revealed. During the first wave of displacement in 2014–2018, the main target regions for displacement were the eastern regions (Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhia). This was connected with the presence of relatives, friends, and socio-cultural closeness. During the second wave of displacement in 2022, the feature of a larger-scale population movement was the expansion of geography to the western regions. People were no longer oriented towards similar mentalities, religions, or linguistic features but were in search of a safe place. Based on the analytics of Ukrainian migrations, a SWOT analysis of forced migrations for the sustainability of host communities was created.