Authors

Ostap Kushnir¹;  ¹ University of Portsmouth, UK

Discussion

This presentation investigates how state and non-state actors interact to support Ukraine’s defence and governance amid the full-scale Russian invasion. It focuses on three regional cities — Vinnytsia, Mykolayiv, and Sumy — and explores the roles played by civil society, business leaders, municipal authorities, and national-level actors in areas such as local defence, wartime administration, logistical and financial support to the military, community coordination, and public communication. Drawing on repertory grid methodology, the presentation summarises insights gathered from interviews with civil society leaders and experts regarding the wartime effectiveness of various actors. The findings underscore the pivotal role of non-state actors, especially Territorial Defence Commanders and Local Civic Activists, in sustaining frontline resilience, often stepping in where municipal authorities fall short. While the latter show strong performance in Vinnytsia, their effectiveness is more limited in Mykolayiv and Sumy. The presentation highlights the flexibility and responsiveness of civil society, the constrained capacity of local governments, the marginal involvement of national institutions in local defence, and the pressing need for cooperation among all stakeholders to strengthen urban resilience under war conditions. The findings of this presentation capitalise on Central-Eastern European experience and provide useful insights into the research of how civil societies and state institutions behave in the conditions of war or insurgency.