Extraction from the analytical report based on social research
«Armed Forces of Ukraine and society»
In November-December 2009 the Defense and Security policy Centre conducted the social research "Armed Forces of Ukraine and society".
The main research task was the designation of the society’s attitude towards Ukrainian Armed Forces, society awareness development methods concerning the Armed Forces transformation and ways of Armed Forces' image improvement among Ukrainian citizens and development of the civil democratic control approach over state military organisation, in particular:
- assessment of citizens' awareness level regarding to the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces' assignment and performance; Identify the sources of the bookworm information obtaining;
- defining of ways of democratic civil control growth by society over the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
– citizens' thoughts research regarding the openness and transparency of the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces of Ukraine activity;
– assessment of the citizens' confidence level to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as the state's instrument caable to defend the country from any aggression;
– assessment of the citizens' opinion as for Armed Forces of Ukraine' image raising and also military service status level;
– identifying the citizens' attitude towards Armed Forces of Ukraine activity within the international environment, which is the main tool in Euro Atlantic integration sphere of security;
– defining the citizens' attitude towards participation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the peacekeeping operations;
– researching of citizens' opinion as for militaries' and their families' legal and social protection (housing);
– defining the citizens' attitude towards officials of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, General Staff of Ukraine and other military authorities concerning the problems solving;
– assessment of the cooperation level between the Ministry of defence, General Staff of Ukraine and other military authority with the civilian institutions and public organisations.
Adult population of Ukraine has been taken for researching.
Total respondents strength – 5133, including regions:
1. Zakarpattya (Zakarpatska region) - 138
2. Galychyna (Lvivska, Ternopilska, Ivano-Frankivska regions) - 562
3. Volyn (Volynska and Rivnenska regions) - 234
4. Crimea - 248
5. Donbas (Donetska and Luganska regions) - 778
6. Chernigivska, Cherkaska and Kyivska regions - 702
7. Podillya (Zhytomyrska, Vinnytska, Khmelnytska regions) - 522
8. Bukovyna (Chernivetska regions) 93
9. Southern Ukraine (Odeska, Mykolaivska, Khersonska regions) - 516
10. Slobozhanshyna (Poltavska, Sumska, Kharkivska regions) - 595
11. Centre (Dnipropetrovska, Kirovogradska, Zaporizka regions) - 472
12. Kyiv - 273
1. Respondents' attitude towards Armed Forces of Ukraine
There are no countries in the world where society has negative attitude to the armed forces, except those which had military administration. In this case it is understandable, why in general Ukrainian population are positively concern the Army (positive answers - 32,25%, partially positive - 27,06%). But this concern is allowably only in case of its abstractive analysis. If the problem is to be exactly assessed, then it becomes a multivalued and difficult.
2. Assessment of the respondents concerning the probable military threat for Ukraine from other countries
Assessing the external aspect of Armed Forces' life sustaining activity the majority (47,85%) respondents think, that nowadays there is no coming military threat from other countries, but 22 % guess, that more or less the threat could take place.
3. Trust level of the citizens of Ukraine to the Armed Forces of Ukraine and its authorities concerning capability to resist to a military threat from other countries.
By the reason of number of factors, society quite skeptically assesses capability of the Armed Forces to resist in case of military threat from the other countries. So, a little bit more than 16 % are strongly convinced that the Armed Forces are capable to execute its function, also 27,7% – believe, but have some disturbance. In a whole, a number of pessimists including those who have not fixed the position are more than a number of optimists.
More optimistic assessment was received among inhabitants of Galitchina, Central regions and Bukovyna. More pessimistic – Zakarpattya and Donbas.
4. Assessment by the respondents of the actuality of the motto concerning consolidation of the Army and society and ideas concerning absents of the consolidation.
As well attitude of respondents to the actuality of the motto concerning consolidation of the army and society is quite pessimistic.
Separating of the views of the respondents concerning reasons of absents of consolidation between the army and the society according to regional principle indicates that the authority of the Armed Forces of Ukraine doesn’t conduct specified work concerning increasing of the image of the army, taking into account the historical, social-psychological and social-cultural factors of the inhabitants of the different regions of Ukraine.
