The Future Conflict Human Impact Assessment is a first-of-its-kind field research project examining the human consequences of the world’s most modern ongoing war: Russia’s war against Ukraine.

It brings direct evidence from the battlefield and from those living with its longer-term effects into the UK’s defence-readiness conversation. The research is based on a sample of in-depth interviews in Ukraine with veterans and those currently in service, including across land, naval, air and drone-enabled roles.

The central premise is that modern, technology-enabled warfare places sustained physical, psychological and social pressure on those who fight, their families, and the medical, rehabilitation, charitable and community systems that

The research explores:

• the effects of sustained exposure to modern warfare, including drone-enabled operations, on physical health, psychological wellbeing and endurance;

• injury, recovery and rehabilitation pathways, including the practical barriers people face after leaving acute medical care;

• the impact of military service and injury on families, carers and household stability;

• the capacity of formal and informal support systems — military, medical, charitable and community-based — to meet demand over time;

• the points at which existing systems fail, adapt or rely on improvised solutions; and

• the preparedness measures that should be established before conflict, rather than assembled once the need arises.

Why this matters for the UK

The UK is developing its approach to defence readiness and national resilience. Ukraine’s experience shows that such capacity depends on institutions, partnerships, workforce, funding models and public behaviours built before a crisis begins. These lessons and learning will be beneficial to the UK as it builds its readiness.

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