Yuriy Matsiyevsky

This study addresses the limitations in existing research on Ukrainian resistance, which has often focused narrowly on either nonviolent civil resistance or irregular warfare, thereby limiting a comprehensive understanding. It explores diverse forms of resistance, including lethal and non-lethal, using a typology structured along two dimensions: activity (active vs. passive) and lethality (non-lethal vs. lethal). The analysis draws on open-source data, primarily social media content from resistance groups, as well as published interviews with participants, sociological surveys, policy studies, and expert reports. Given Russia's failure to suppress resistance in territories it has controlled for over three years, this research seeks to understand the persistence of this struggle. Prior literature on civil wars suggests that prolonged territorial control tends to weaken resistance and encourage collaboration with occupying forces. In contrast, this study finds that the intensity of resistance has not diminished over time – a pattern likely linked to strong national identity and personal grievances among resistance movement participants.

Website address: https://umsys.com.ua/yurii.matsiievskyi@oa.edu.ua/profile