About 20% of researchers have stopped conducting research in Ukraine due to the war
Russia’s full-scale invasion has dealt a devastating blow to the human resources of Ukrainian science, forcing 15–20% of researchers to cease their professional activities.
This was reported by Deputy Minister of Education and Science Denys Kurbatov in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
According to official data from the Ministry of Education and Science, a significant portion of specialists were forced to change their field of work or seek refuge outside the country.
Deputy Minister of Education and Science Denys Kurbatov reported that about 8% of scientists have left the country due to security risks and hostilities.
The rest of those who left academia moved to other sectors of the economy, trying to adapt to the new realities of wartime.
Currently, there are two main groups of researchers working in Ukraine: purely scientific staff at academic institutions and the scientific and teaching staff at universities.
“If we consider the first group, that’s approximately 25,000 people, and together with the research and teaching staff, there are about 80,000 researchers,” the official noted.
Despite significant losses, the government is focusing on the fact that the vast majority of specialists remain in the country.
“I always emphasize that 80–85% of scientists still remain and work in Ukraine, despite all the conditions,” Kurbatov stressed in an interview.
Ukraine has historically been among the countries with the lowest ratio of researchers per thousand people.
This negative trend has been observed since the 1990s, and the war has only exacerbated the existing problem of a demographic deficit in the intellectual sphere.
In addition to the decline in numbers, the sector faces a serious problem of an “aging” scientific workforce. The largest age group consists of specialists aged 40 to 60, while the category of young scientists under 40 remains the smallest.
To overcome the crisis, the Ministry of Education and Science is launching a pilot project known as the “project-based graduate program.”
The program provides for a significant increase in scholarships and direct funding for dissertation research expenses, including reagents and travel.
In 2026, Ukrainians are increasingly focused on the team atmosphere, work-life balance, and employer stability, rather than just salary.
As a reminder, according to the latest sociological survey conducted by the Kyiv Security Forum, Ukrainians are divided in their views regarding the borders and conditions that must be met to make peace with Russia.
Amid full-scale war and martial law, 35% of Ukrainian citizens believe there is not enough democracy in the country. At the same time, 36% are convinced that the level of democracy is appropriate for the current circumstances, while 16% believe there is even too much of it.
