Ukrainian Society Responds to a Decade of Russia's War

Abstract

This special issue presents an empirically driven analysis of Russia’s war against Ukraine from the perspective of Ukrainian scholars. Curated in response to the limited presence of Ukrainian voices in international academic discourse on the conflict, this collection focuses on the social, gendered, and lived realities of war. The issue also addresses the underrepresentation of women’s voices in war and conflict studies. Ukrainian women scholars are the authors or lead authors on all contributions to the issue, which explore critical themes including the impact of the war on gender roles, the rapid integration of women into the Ukrainian armed forces, gendered discourse surrounding war crimes, and the innovative role of civil society in defense. The issue also includes a review of recent books that offer insights on the war’s impact on Ukrainian society from sociocultural, anthropological, historical, and journalistic perspectives. Ultimately, this special issue offers readers a nuanced understanding of how Ukrainian society is navigating and being profoundly transformed by the war, affirming the vital importance of insider perspectives in comprehending modern war.