February 24, 2023 - It’s now one year since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began

Our live coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine has moved here.

US President Joe Biden dismissed China’s proposed peace plan for the war in Ukraine on Friday, suggesting its implementation would only benefit Russia.

“If Putin is applauding it, so how could it be any good?” Biden said in an interview with ABC News. “I’m not being facetious. I’m being deadly earnest.”
“I’ve seen nothing in the plan that would indicate that there is something that would be beneficial to anyone other than Russia if the Chinese plan were followed,” Biden said. 

Beyond his criticism of the peace plan, Biden outright rejected the notion of China negotiating peace in the war, calling it irrational.

“The idea that China is going to be negotiating the outcome of a war that is a totally unjust war for Ukraine is just not rational,” Biden said.

Biden also weighed in on the possibility of China providing lethal weapons to Russia, which US officials have warned of in recent days.

Biden declined to outline the consequences of China arming Russia, but suggested China would face the same “severe sanctions” as any other country or entity that has supplied weapons to Russia.

Some background: The US has intelligence that the Chinese government is considering providing Russia with drones and ammunition for use in the war in Ukraine, three sources familiar with the intelligence told CNN.

It does not appear that Beijing has made a final decision yet, the sources said, but negotiations between Russia and China about the price and scope of the equipment are ongoing.

China’s Foreign Ministry said Friday that the country takes a “responsible approach” to military exports and does not provide arms sales to conflict areas. The statement comes a day after a German media outlet claimed Beijing is negotiating with Moscow to supply drones.

On the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shared messages of hope as anxiety and resolve filled the air throughout Ukrainian cities.

Zelensky declared 2023 as the year of Ukraine’s victory over Russia, and expressed confidence in his country’s ability to fend off attacks, but did not speculate on how soon the fighting could end.

Officials around the world joined Zelensky in his hopeful message, releasing statements emphasizing their support for Ukraine.

If you’re just now catching up, here’s what you need to know:

China developments: China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Friday that China is willing to play a constructive role in resolving issues between Ukraine and Russia, but did not provide concrete details on what that looks like. His comments come after China released a document Friday outlining its position on the conflict in Ukraine, which Ukrainian diplomat Zhanna Leshchynska called “a good sign.” Russia’s Foreign Ministry also voiced appreciation Friday for the proposal, and blamed Ukraine and the West for the lack of negotiations on it.

Zelensky said Friday Ukraine “will work with China” if they show respect for international law and territorial integrity. The Ukrainian president said he would like to hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Shelling continues. Ongoing Russian shelling has killed at least three civilians in Ukraine’s east and south, and injured several others over the last 24 hours, according to situational updates from local authorities. The heating system in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson has been damaged due to Russian shelling and residents may have to remain without heat for several days, the Kherson region military administration said Friday. A spokesperson for Ukraine’s Air Force said the Ukrainian military is on alert for any attacks by Russian forces and that security measures across the country have been increased.

Sanctions. The European Union has approved a 10th round of sanctions against Russia, the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU said on Friday. And US Secretary of State Antony Blinken rolled out more sanctions, visa restrictions and additional tariffs for Russia in a Friday announcement. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he also intends to present the idea of imposing new sanctions against Russia during a virtual meeting with G7 leaders and Zelensky. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly too announced a new package of sanctions and trade measures against Russia on Friday. The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said Russia’s economy will experience more difficulties due to the continued sanctions.

Military assistance. Germany will send four more Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, increasing the number it’s sending from 14 to 18, according to the German defense ministry. Sweden also pledged to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine in a military package that includes further air defense components, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Friday. A first delivery of Leopard 2 tanks from Poland has arrived in Ukraine, a spokesperson for the Polish defense ministry said. Meanwhile, Russia could provide Iran with fighter jets as military cooperation between the two countries deepens, the White House said Friday.

A US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon flies over Iowa on August 11, 2022. 

US President Joe Biden told ABC News on Friday that Ukraine “doesn’t need F-16s now,” despite reporting that Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials have, in recent days escalated their public lobbying campaign for the US-made fighter jets, arguing they need them urgently to defend against Russian missile and drone attacks.

“Look, we’re sending him what our seasoned military thinks he needs now. He needs tanks, he needs artillery, he needs air defense, including another HIMARS,” Biden told ABC News’ David Muir. “There’s things he needs now that we’re sending him to put them in a position to be able to make gains this spring and this summer going into the fall.”

Pressed on Zelensky’s calls for the US to provide the fighter jets, Biden told Muir: “There is no basis upon which there is a rationale, according to our military now, to provide F16s,” adding “I am ruling it out, for now.”

Earlier Friday, Biden balked when asked by CNN’s Jeremy Diamond what he told Zelensky during his visit to Kyiv about the possibility of providing F-16s, responding: “That’s a private discussion.”

Biden National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said during a town hall Thursday the F-16s came up during the US president’s surprise trip to Ukraine.

“F-16s are not a question for the short-term fight. F-16s are a question for the long-term defense of Ukraine and that’s a conversation that President Biden and President Zelensky had,” Sullivan said.

Some context: Ukraine’s renewed public push for the planes, which Ukraine’s foreign minister publicly described as a “priority” last month, appears driven in large part by a belief in Kyiv that with enough public pressure, the Ukrainians can eventually secure weapons systems that were once deemed a red line by the west.

“What is impossible today is absolutely possible tomorrow,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told NPR in January.

A Ukrainian military official echoed that sentiment in comments to CNN, saying, “It’s going to come sooner or later.”

US President Joe Biden speaks to reporters before he boards Marine One on February 24 in Washington DC.

There’s no evidence “so far” that China will militarily back Russia in Ukraine, US President Joe Biden said Friday while warning any support would have economic ramifications for Beijing.

Asked if he was worried China would fight with Russia, the president said he spoke to Chinese leader Xi Jinping about the issue and about the economic consequences during the summer. “And I said, ‘Look, it’s not a threat. It’s just a statement,” Biden said as he departed the White House.

Biden added: “When in fact, Europeans saw what was happening, and Americans saw what was happening in Russia and Europe, guess what? Six other corporations pulled out and left — they didn’t want to be associated with it. I said, ‘You [Xi], told me that the future of China rests on investment from the Western world — that matters.’ I said, I’d just keep an eye on there’s no evidence he’s done it yet.” 

Some context: The US has intelligence that the Chinese government is considering providing Russia with drones and ammunition for use in the war in Ukraine, three sources familiar with the intelligence told CNN.

It does not appear that Beijing has made a final decision yet, the sources said, but negotiations between Russia and China about the price and scope of the equipment are ongoing.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised the issue when he met with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on Saturday on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, officials said.

“The secretary was quite blunt in warning about the implications and consequences of China providing material support to Russia or assisting Russia with systematic sanctions evasion,” a senior State Department official told reporters.

One year after Russia’s invasion, the US still leads the world in bilateral aid sent to Ukraine, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German research institute that has been tracking more than $150 billion in aid to Ukraine from January 2022 through January 15 of this year.

US commitments, including financial, humanitarian and military aid, have exceeded $70 billion, more than the EU member countries and institutions combined, which are nearing $55 billion.

See how other countries measure up:

But smaller nearby countries, including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland are throwing a greater portion of their economic power behind Ukraine, leading aid contributions as a percent of GDP.

See other countries and their bilateral commitments as a percentage of GDP:

The European Union has approved a 10th round of sanctions against Russia, the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU said on Friday.

“It’s one year since Russia’s brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine, today, the EU approved the 10th package of Russian sanctions,” the presidency said on Twitter. 

The Swedish Presidency of the EU added the new sanctions package has imposed “the most forceful and far-reaching sanctions ever to help Ukraine win the war.”

The package includes:

• Targeted restricted measures against individuals and entities supporting the war, spreading propaganda or delivering drones used by Russia in the war
• Measures against Russian disinformation 
• Tighter export restrictions regarding dual-use and advanced technology

“The EU stands united with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. We will keep supporting Ukraine, for as long as it takes,” the presidency continued. 

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson tweeted that he welcomed the EU’s agreement on its 10th round of sanctions.

“To keep unity in support for Ukraine is the number one priority for the Swedish EU Presidency,” he wrote.

European Union Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell speaks during a plenary session at the European Parliament on February 15 in Strasbourg, France.

As the war enters its second year, the European Union Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell said Russia’s economy will experience more difficulties due to Europe largely cutting out Russian gas and continued sanctions.

“Last year, Russia could cut a lot of money because of the high prices of energy, and we were still very much dependent on Russian gas imports,” Borrell told CNN’s Isa Soares on Friday. “But that’s over, Europe is no longer consuming Russian gas. We were 40% dependent, now we are only 6% dependent. No Russian oil.”

When Russia’s war broke out, Western countries hit back with unprecedented sanctions to punish Moscow and pile pressure on President Vladimir Putin. Russia’s economy did weaken as a result, but also showed resilience. As demand for Russian oil fell in Europe, Moscow redirected its barrels to Asia.

The European Union — which spent more than $100 billion on Russian fossil fuels in 2021 — has made huge strides in phasing out purchases. 

The bloc, which dramatically reduced its dependence on Russian natural gas last year, officially banned most imports of Russian crude oil by sea in December. It enacted a similar block on refined oil products this month.

CNN’s Julia Horowitz contributed reporting to this post.

More than 250 attacks during Russia’s invasion last year left nearly one in 10 Ukrainian hospitals damaged, some repeatedly, according to new analysis reviewed by CNN by investigators from the United States, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Ukraine published Tuesday.

The analysis is a joint undertaking of five nongovernmental organizations: eyeWitness to Atrocities (eyeWitness), Insecurity Insight, the Media Initiative for Human Rights (MIHR), Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) and the Ukrainian Healthcare Center (UHC). CNN has reviewed their analysis but cannot independently confirm the details of each attack.

Nearly 200 medical workers, who at the time of war are protected under international human rights laws, were either killed, injured, kidnapped or arrested, the collaboration between the NGOs revealed.

Researchers documented 707 health care attacks between February and December 2022, including damage to facilities, such as strikes by ground-launched explosives, and other attacks, such as looting, denial of access to health care and disruption of patients’ access to utilities necessary for medical care.

“These findings should be a wake-up call for the global community to act now to end impunity for wanton violence against health workers, in Ukraine and around the world,” Christian De Vos, report co-author and research director at Physicians for Human Rights, a US-based human rights NGO, told CNN.

CNN has asked the Russian government for comment but has not yet received a response. Russia has previously claimed that it only fires on targets of military value. 

Read more here.

It’s been one year since Russia invaded Ukraine, and officials around the world are weighing in.

Here’s what some have had to say:

Jill Biden. The first lady of the US told reporters Friday that she always has Ukrainians on her mind.

“I just wanted to say on the one year anniversary of Ukraine that not a day goes by that I don’t think of President Zelensky, Olena, their family and all the people in Ukraine and what they’re going through and how hard they’re fighting to keep their freedom,” Biden said.

King Charles III. King Charles III assured that “the United Kingdom, along with its allies, is doing everything possible to help at this most difficult time.”

“I can only hope the outpouring of solidarity from across the globe may bring not only practical aid, but also strength from the knowledge that, together we stand united,” His majesty said in a statement Friday.

Merrick Garland. US Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department “will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our Ukrainian and international partners in defense of justice and the rule of law.”

He vowed to investigate Russian crimes, prosecute alleged war criminals found in the US, “effect seizures against sanctioned enablers of the Kremlin and Russian military,” and to transfer certain seized Russian oligarch’s assets.

“Today, the Department of Justice reiterates its resolute commitment to standing with our Ukrainian partners in pursuit of justice,” Garland said in the statement.

Antony Blinken. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken rolled out more sanctions, visa restrictions and additional tariffs for Russia in a Friday announcement

“The United States continues to rally the world to support Ukraine,” Blinken said. “Our actions today are made even more powerful because we are taking them in coordination with G7 partners, demonstrating our ongoing unity in working to ensure Russia bears costs for its brutal war. Ukraine is a symbol of freedom for us all. The United States will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as takes.”

G7 leaders. Leaders of the G7 reaffirmed their support in a statement Friday, and called for an end to “Russian aggression.”

The leaders call the war “an attack on the fundamental principles of sovereignty of nations, territorial integrity of states and respect for human rights,” call nuclear rhetoric by Russian President Vladimir Putin “irresponsible” and “unacceptable,” and say they are “united in our determination to hold President Putin and those responsible to account, consistent with international law.”

Kamala Harris. Vice President Kamala Harris shared a video on Twitter detailing the United States’ support for Ukraine.

“One year after Russia’s invasion, the United States continues to stand proudly with Ukraine,” she said.

Jens Stoltenberg. Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg on Twitter sent well wishes to Ukraine and said that the organization will continue its support for Ukraine.

“I wish you strength. I wish you courage. I wish you success. And I wish you victory,” he wrote.”

A local London council has announced a new road name – “Kyiv Road” – to mark one year since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Westminster City Council said in a statement on Thursday that the new address will cover a small section of Bayswater Road in central London, with a new road sign installed on Friday. 

Kyiv Road will be located a short distance from the Russian embassy, Westminster City Council said in the statement.

“The request for a new placename has come from the Ukrainian community itself. Westminster is home to Ukrainians displaced by the war, and our residents have opened their hearts and their doors to those fleeing Putin’s war machine,” Westminster City Council leader Adam Hug said in the statement.

“As the center of an international capital, it seemed to us entirely fitting that part of our City should carry a torch for the unbowed defenders of Ukraine. It’s a small stretch of road, but we want to show the people of Ukraine that their struggle has a visible place in our City,” the councilor added. “Placenames across London have changed over the decades to mark momentous points or figures in history, so Kyiv Road is part of that long tradition.”

Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK Vadym Prystaiko said that Kyiv Road is “a symbol of solidarity with the Ukrainian people and a tribute to their unwavering spirit in the face of aggression.”

Nataliia Shaposhnykova and Oleksandr Shaposhnykov

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine caused them to flee their home in Kyiv, Oleksandr Shaposhnykov and Nataliia Shaposhnykova have been adjusting to daily life in New York City over the past year. 

The former dentists, aged 58 and 55, respectively, now live in Brooklyn. They are learning English with the Riverside Language Program — which supports immigrants, asylum-seekers and refugees — and are part of the Emma’s Torch culinary training program for refugees.

Their immediate family members fled to Pennsylvania and Switzerland to escape the war, but they said they have many friends still living in Kyiv, Irpin, Bucha and other areas. Some left the country for a while but missed their homes and went back, the couple said. 

Shaposhnykova said she is working as a barista at the culinary program’s cafe inside the Brooklyn Public Library, which she called “hard but interesting.”

While they are grateful to be safe, the couple said they want to work to keep themselves from dwelling too much on the war and how it broke their family apart.

“I miss my family,” Shaposhnykov said, adding that they want to eventually live in America together.

“All of Ukrainian people want the war stopped and Ukraine [to] win. We want to be with our families, our friends, but Ukrainian people [are] very brave and strong, so everything will be OK,” Shaposhnykova said via translator Nadiia Kutniak, who works at Riverside Language Program.

“[I’m] very thankful [to] America and all people who help, Ukrainian people who helped this family, who helped everyone. Very thankful for this, to America,” she said via translator, beginning to cry.
She added that the couple tries to stay busy, so they “don’t think about the war, because when [we] think about Ukraine and about war, [we] almost always cry.” 

The couple said some aspects of New York City have been difficult — Shaposhnykova got sticker shock when she saw rent prices, and said even getting one room without credit history was a “very big problem.” But they have also found community through programs they have joined.

They came to the United States via the Uniting for Ukraine program, which US Citizenship and Immigration Services says “provides a pathway for Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members who are outside the United States to come to the United States and stay temporarily in a 2 year period of parole.”

The flags of Russia and China flutter on the roof of a hotel with the flags of other countries removed in central St. Petersburg, Russia, on Wednesday, November 30, 2022.

US intelligence suggests the Chinese government is considering providing Russia with drones and ammunition for use in Ukraine, three sources familiar with the intelligence tell CNN.

It does not appear that Beijing has made a final decision yet, the sources said, but negotiations between Russia and China about the price and scope of the equipment are ongoing. 

Since invading Ukraine, Russia has repeatedly requested drones and ammunition from China, the sources said, and Chinese leadership has been actively debating over the last several months whether or not to send the lethal aid.

US officials have collected information in recent weeks that suggests China is leaning toward providing the equipment.

The US and its allies last week began publicly warning about China’s potential military support to Russia in an effort to deter Beijing from moving ahead with it and becoming a pariah on the world stage, US officials said.

The provision of drones and ammunition — which would likely be for small arms like handheld weaponry rather than larger artillery, the sources said — would mark a significant escalation of China’s support for Russia, which to date has been largely limited to Chinese companies providing non-lethal equipment like helmets, flak jackets and satellite imagery.

The US National Security Council and State Department declined to comment, and CNN has asked the Chinese and Russian embassies in Washington for comment.

The German publication Der Spiegel first reported that China may provide attack drones to Russia.

What China has said publicly: Asked on Friday about the potential sale of lethal equipment to Russia, foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said, “China has always taken a prudent and responsible approach to military exports and does not provide any arms sales to conflict areas or belligerents.”  

Top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi responded to the United States’ allegations earlier this week, saying that China’s position on Ukraine “can be simply put as promoting peace talks.” 

China also released a position paper Friday calling for a resumption of peace talks on the Ukraine war, of which US officials remain highly skeptical.

Yi visited Russia this week, and Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in the coming months.  

Why it could matter for Russia: Moscow has purchased hundreds of weapons-capable drones from Iran in recent months but is burning through them quickly with repeated attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure and civilian areas. 

And Russian fighters are running so low on ammunition that Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, published photos this week of several dozen dead Wagner fighters and publicly blamed their deaths on the Russian Ministry of Defense’s inability to supply them with enough ammunition. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks at the podium during the meeting between members of the standing committee of the Political Bureau of the 20th CPC Central Committee and Chinese and foreign journalists at The Great Hall of People on October 23, 2022 in Beijing, China.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he would like to hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

When asked at a Kyiv news conference how he plans to bring the countries that are geopolitically removed from Ukraine to his side, Zelensky said that he plans to meet with Xi.

“I believe that would be beneficial for both our states and for the security in the world, he said, adding that “China and Ukraine have a lot of trade turnover.” 

China has given no indication that a meeting between Xi and Zelensky is possible. 

“It’s not just a question of war. We are countries that are interested in maintaining an economic relationship,” Zelensky continued. “As far as I know, China respects territorial integrity, historically, has respected it and therefore must do whatever they can for the Russian Federation to leave our territory because that would mean respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

The president also said that it is necessary to respect international law and the United Nations Charter, and if China agrees with this, then it means it supports the “peace formula” put forward by Ukraine, which calls on Russia to leave every part of what is internationally recognized as Ukrainian territory.  

Zelensky earlier said “we need to work with China” if the country can respect international law and territorial integrity. On Friday, China said it is willing to play a constructive role in resolving issues between Ukraine and Russia.

New paper, old message: In a new document addressing the war in Ukraine, China’s Foreign Ministry on Friday called for a resumption of peace talks, an end to unilateral sanctions, and stressed its opposition to the use of nuclear weapons — a stance Xi communicated to Western leaders last year.

The 12-point paper is part of Beijing’s latest efforts to present itself as a neutral peace broker. Beijing’s claim to neutrality has been severely undermined by its refusal to acknowledge the nature of the conflict — it has so far avoided calling it an “invasion” — and its diplomatic and economic support for Moscow.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry voiced appreciation Friday for the Chinese peace proposal on Ukraine, saying Moscow is open to achieving the goals of its so-called “special military operation” through political and diplomatic means.

In the newly released position paper, China’s Foreign Ministry called for a resumption of peace talks and an end to unilateral sanctions, and stressed its opposition to the use of nuclear weapons.

“We share Beijing’s views,” Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. It went on to call Kyiv’s “documented refusal” to negotiate the “main obstacle” to a peaceful settlement.

China’s 12-point proposal has been met with skepticism by Ukraine’s allies because of its refusal to acknowledge the nature of the conflict – it has so far avoided calling it an “invasion” – and its diplomatic and economic support for Moscow.

But Russia praised “the sincere desire” of China to contribute to the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine by peaceful means. And it said that Moscow shares concerns with its Chinese colleagues about “unfair competition and economic warfare” being leveled against Russia.

The Russian statement said the prospect of peace would rest, in part, on the cessation of Western weapons flowing into Ukraine, and “on the recognition of new territorial realities,” in an apparent allusion to Russia’s annexation of four Ukrainian territories in defiance of international law.

What China’s proposal says: In its newly released plan, China reiterates calls for a political settlement to the Ukraine conflict, even as it faces increasing pressure from the United States and its allies over its growing partnership with Moscow.

“Conflict and war benefit no one. All parties must stay rational and exercise restraint, avoid fanning the flames and aggravating tensions, and prevent the crisis from deteriorating further or even spiraling out of control,” the paper reads.

“Dialogue and negotiation are the only viable solution to the Ukraine crisis,” the authors said, adding that China will play a “constructive role.”

“The security of a region should not be achieved by strengthening or expanding military blocs. The legitimate security interests and concerns of all countries must be taken seriously and addressed properly,” the paper added.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a news conference on the first anniversary of Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday a personal question about how he and his family are coping with the reality of war was “the hardest” of all the questions he was asked during a press conference on Friday.  

The question about Zelensky’s family was the last question at the press conference. 

“The final question is the hardest,” he said. “I love them, of course. I love my wife, my children, they are the main people for me.”

“I don’t see them often. My parents — I don’t see them at all,” he said, adding “they are all in my heart.”

“The main thing is not to let them down. The main thing is for my children to be proud of me. And I am glad that they are in Ukraine, that they are studying in Ukrainian schools. It is important for a president of a country, whether former or current, when you are a wartime president, it’s important to have your children here, because the country is here, because boys and girls are dying here,” he said.

Zelensky added he is “incredibly lucky” with his family and his country. 

Refugees from Ukraine are pictured after crossing the Ukrainian-Polish border in Korczowa on March 2.

More than 9 million Ukrainian refugees — mostly women and children — crossed over to Poland, according Polish Consular General Adrian Kubicki, who told CNN that some decided to go back to Ukraine, some go back and forth, and some continued on to other countries.

Kubicki said that Poland demonstrated a new model of refugee assistance as it never put people fleeing their homeland in refugee camps. Instead, they are given a PESEL, which is the equivalent of an American social security number, so they could receive resources similar to the ones available to Polish citizens, he told CNN.

Ukrainian refugees would also have access to free education for their children and legal employment. People with disabilities would receive a per diem.

“We will provide it for as long as it needs to be provided,” he said, noting that there is no expiration date set for this provision.

Poland is also the hub for many non-profit organizations that wish to help Ukrainian refugees flee to Poland or relocate to other countries, he said.

One of the organizations helping refugees is the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). It has been in the area since before the war, but CEO Ariel Zwang says the resources channeled in the country have greatly increased since the invasion began.

The organization’s total Ukraine-related budget expanded from $63.3 million to $113 million — a 78% increase. This includes the care for Ukrainian refugees outside the country, it told CNN.

They provide impacted Jewish Ukrainians with information, assistance and evacuation abilities.

“Internally displaced people stay in JDC hotels and receive trauma therapy,” Zwang said, who gave the example of an elderly woman who she met in western Ukraine after being evacuated from eastern Ukraine.

“JDC reached out to her early in the war asking if she wants to relocate [to another country], and she said, ‘no, I don’t know if my homecare will continue, I don’t know anybody there,’” Zwang recounted. “But when a JDC Hesed [community center] called again, asking if she wanted to evacuate to another location within Ukraine, she agreed. So we sent her a car so she could get to a bus at 7 a .m. (local time) to evacuate.”

While stopping in the city of Dnipro for a few days, the woman heard thunderstorms and thought it was shelling. Zwang said that the woman was traumatized, and said, “My god, they have found me here too.”

A JDC aid worker provides a taste of apples and honey to an elderly Jewish woman in the besieged city of Dnipro. The apples and honey were included in JDC's Rosh Hashanah food aid packages provided to thousands of poor Jewish seniors across Ukraine.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a news conference on the first anniversary of Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia will continue to try to destabilize Moldova, and that Moscow’s attempts should be stopped with “more weapons” and “more sanctions.”

Zelensky’s comments came after Russia sought to flip the narrative Friday, claiming Kyiv was the government provoking tensions in the nation on its southern border, not Moscow. The Ukrainian president responded during an address marking one year of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Zelensky said his government respects the territorial integrity of Moldova, and that Transnistria — a sliver of land where Russia has inserted a so-called peacekeeping force to back pro-Moscow separatists — is included in that rightful Moldovan territory.

Zelensky said Russia is carrying out a “hybrid war and information war” in Moldova.

“Putin needs to show successes and victories. But there will be no victory on the battlefield in Ukraine. Therefore, he can go looking for success where there are weak points,” he said.

“I think it’s important to stop these attempts with more weapons, more sanctions, the appropriate steps,” he added.

More background: Officials in Moldova and in several Western governments have expressed concern in recent weeks that Moscow is mirroring some of the steps it used as a pretext for invasions in Georgia and Ukraine.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu has warned of an alleged Russian plot to destabilize her government, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced “deep concern” about the prospect of Moscow meddling with the tiny country.

Russia has leveled its own accusations at Ukraine, warning against NATO or Kyiv taking “adventurous steps”in Transnistria, and claiming that an attack on Moscow’s compatriots in the territory would be considered an attack on Russia itself.

A spokesperson for Ukraine’s State Border Service responded to Russia’s comments Friday, saying the Ukrainian military and National Guard have taken “increased measures on the border with Transnistria” but solely “to prevent any provocations from the other side.”

CNN’s Katharina Krebs contributed to this report.

Ukrainian servicemen make a trench near Bakhmut on February 1, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP) (Photo by YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP via Getty Images)

One year ago today, Russia invaded Ukraine and the world hasn’t been the same since.

CNN 5 Things podcast takes a deep dive into the conflict in today’s special episode.

Listen here to learn how Ukraine has defied the odds, why Russia did this in the first place, and what lies ahead.

Destroyed buildings are seen in Izium.

In the northeastern Ukrainian city of Izium, “everything was destroyed” while it was in Russian control for six months, 44-year-old Julia told CNN on the one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

While the city has been back in Ukrainian hands since September 2022, the scars of war remain. 

“We were left without anything,” Julia said. “We need to de-mine and we need help with machinery to work the land.”

Eighty-year-old Galina picked up supplies while she waited for subsidies.

“I’m going to all the authorities, I can’t get it,” she said. “I’ve been here all the time. The windows are beaten up. … I had to buy glass with my own money.”

Nastya and her daughter are Izium residents.

Nastya, 27, said she and her daughter hope they do not to live under occupation again. She dreams of peace, for everything to be rebuilt, and for kindergartens and schools to run normally.

On the road into Izium, a CNN team passed through the obliterated town of Kamyanka. Once the scene of fierce fighting, it is now deserted, with every home and building shattered. Only a lone unmarked police car pulled over to enquire about CNN’s presence. The ground was pockmarked with holes, sometimes craters. Trees stood scorched and splintered — a bleak picture of a fate Izium escaped.

Izium local Lilia, 52, said she does not know what the next year will bring, but she prays that “God grant us not to be touched.”

Izium resident Lilia.

A group of Ukrainian companies showcased a guided missile system at the largest defense exhibit in the Middle East in Abu Dhabi, where companies from around the world present their latest weaponry. 

The missile system was allegedly used to destroy Russian tanks this year.

Ukrainians said that while they were not at the exhibit to sell their products, their representation at the conference was important to show Middle East customers that one year since the invasion, they’re “still alive”.

“We are here to remind our former main customers in the Middle East that we are still alive … we are still strong,” said Oleg Babenko, a representative for one of the Ukrainian weapons manufacturers.

Babenko told CNN that the group wasn’t concerned that eight Russian arms manufacturing firms were also exhibiting at the fair. “[The Russians] know our anti-tank guided missiles very well.”

He spoke from the booth of the National Association of Ukrainian Defense Industries (NAUDI). Meanwhile, CNN approached delegations from three different Russian firms, as well as an organizer of the Russian pavilion, but all refused to speak.

Rosoboronexport, a firm that makes drones and missiles, however, said in a press release last week that it is “busy working out proposals for the forms of partnership that could be of immediate interest to Middle East nations.” 

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine one year ago, the US Justice Department has seized more than $500 million in yachts, properties and other assets from people who support the Russian government and have evaded US sanctions, according to a department news release.

The Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture — made up of federal prosecutors, investigators, and analysts — has targeted the web of wealth surrounding Russian oligarchs and Kremlin insiders. 

As part of that effort, the Justice Department announced a civil forfeiture complaint on Friday for $75 million in property owned by the sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. An associate of Vekselberg who allegedly helped the oligarch buy multimillion dollar properties in Manhattan, the Hamptons and Florida was indicted earlier this month for allegedly violating US sanctions and international money laundering. The Justice Department previously seized Vekselberg’s $90 million luxury yacht dubbed “Tango.”

In total, the department has seized two mega-yachts, moved to seize four airplanes, and has restrained and moved to forfeit 10 properties from Russian oligarchs and agents, according to department statistics.

Their work has also resulted in over 30 indictments against sanctioned supporters of the Kremlin and Russian military. There have been some arrests, but many of these defendants live in Russia and are unlikely to ever be apprehended or extradited.

On Friday, prosecutors unsealed a new indictment charging a Russian national with providing US communications equipment to the Russian Federal Security Service – the successor to the Soviet Union’s KGB — in violation of US sanctions. According to the indictment, Moscow resident Ilya Balakaev, 47, repeatedly traveled to the United States to purchase electronic equipment parts and bring them back to Russia. Balakaev allegedly set up a network of people within the US to help him buy the parts, which were not available in Russia, to fix equipment used for sweeping for surveillance bugs and to transmitting covert communications. 

Priests conduct the funeral service of Valeriia Hlodan, her three-month-old baby girl Kira and her mother Liudmyla Yavkina at Transfiguration Cathedral, Odesa, southern Ukraine, on April 27.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, at least 487 children have been killed and 954 children have been injured, with the use of explosive weapons causing the most casualties, according to United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

These numbers are gross undercounts, said James Elder, global spokesperson of the UN agency, adding that the true numbers are far greater.

The war has pushed children into poverty, subjected them to great trauma and deprived them of education, Elder told CNN.

Elder described students studying in bunkers while they shelter from possible attacks.

However, “most school shelters cannot fit the numbers of students enrolled in the school, so many children have to still do online classes,” which is hard given the state of conflict has made electricity supply and internet service unreliable, Elder said. “Bunkers are basically basements or something below ground. They offer protection from artillery, but it’s cold, sad and difficult.”

Remember: In September, as schools prepared to open their doors, many educators were grappling with the fact that they don’t have the ability to provide safety to students or peace of mind to parents, should their schools come under attack.

“Our schools are not designed to be used as defensive facilities,” Serhii Horbachov, Ukraine’s education ombudsman, told CNN.

Four months after the invasion began, UNICEF had tried to restart schools in bunkers to ensure children could use bathrooms, have areas of play and could receive education, Elder said.

UNICEF told CNN it has completed the rehabilitation of 16 school shelters and plans to complete another 80 by July 2023.

With previous reporting from CNN’s Tara John and Maria Kostenko

US President Joe Biden’s administration is providing Ukraine with another $10 billion in assistance, including budgetary support for the government in Kyiv and help for Ukrainians suffering from the effects of Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Friday.

“This week, as a result of the bipartisan support of Congress, the United States began disbursing $9.9 billion in additional budgetary support to the Government of Ukraine,” Blinken said in a statement.

Blinken said the funding is “crucial to Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia and ensures the Ukrainian government can continue to meet the critical needs of its citizens, including healthcare, education, and emergency services.”

He also asserted that continued US assistance has “helped rally” other countries — including Canada, Japan, the UK and those in the European Commission — to provide economic assistance.

“As Russia continues its relentless attacks on Ukrainian civilian and critical energy infrastructure, we are also working with Congress to provide additional energy assistance to Ukraine, a $250 million contribution that will enable us to address immediate needs, including critical power grid equipment,” Blinken said. “These funds will help keep schools open, power generators for hospitals running, and keep homes and shelters across Ukraine warm.”

Leaders of the Group of 7 reaffirmed support for Ukraine and again called for an end to Russian aggression in the region shortly after the group met virtually with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday.

In a statement one year after Russia’s full-scale invasion began, the G7 said it will provide “unwavering support for Ukraine for as long as it takes” and placed the blame for the war solely on Russia.  

“We call on Russia to stop its ongoing aggression and to immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its troops from the entire internationally recognized territory of Ukraine,” according to the statement.

The statement called the war an “an attack on the fundamental principles of sovereignty of nations, territorial integrity of states and respect for human rights” and said that nuclear rhetoric by Russian President Vladimir Putin is “irresponsible” and “unacceptable.”

Leaders from the countries of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States are “united in our determination to hold President Putin and those responsible to account, consistent with international law,” it added.

See the White House’s tweet on the meeting:

Russia could provide Iran with fighter jets as military cooperation between the two countries deepens, the White House said Friday.

Iran is also seeking helicopters, radar and combat trainer aircraft from Moscow, according to John Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator at the US National Security Council. He said, in total, Iran was seeking billions of dollars worth of military equipment from Russia.

In exchange, Iran has shipped artillery and tank rounds to Russia as its invasion of Ukraine enters a second year.

Iran has given Russia hundreds of drones to use in the war — many of which have targeted Ukraine’s power grid and energy facilities to devastating effect — and appears to be modifying the attack drones so that the explosive warheads can inflict maximum damage on infrastructure targets, according to an investigative report obtained by CNN earlier this month.

Kirby did not expand on what types of jets Russia might provide Iran, nor did he provide any indication of when such a move might occur.

The White House has previously warned that Iran and Russia could provide each other with military equipment and weapons. The new requests, including the fighter jets, represent the US concerns being realized, Kirby said.

He called the alignment between Moscow and Tehran an unprecedented level of defense cooperation.

Other rouge nations have also provided Russia support in its ongoing war. North Korea has provided arms to the mercenary group Wagner, Kirby said.

Wife Natalia and son Artem stand next to the grave of Vasyl Maznichenko, local resident killed by Russian soldiers during the occupation of Bucha, on the first anniversary of Russia's attack on Ukraine on Friday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that what he had witnessed in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha after it was liberated was the most frightening moment in the war.

“What we saw was that the devil is not somewhere else, he is on Earth,” Zelensky said at a news conference in Kyiv on Friday.

Remember: After Russian forces left the area at the end of March 2022, widespread human rights atrocities were uncovered.

Zelensky said his biggest disappointment of the war was the Ukrainian leaders who left the country when the Russian invasion began on February 24, especially the ones “who were supposed to rule, protect and fight for the country.”

The President said he had made a lot of mistakes himself during the conflict, but the most important lesson for him is “not to make fatal mistakes that could lead to losing his country.”

Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba address the United Nations Security Council on Friday.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba addressed the United Nations Security Council on Friday, one year after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Kuleba urged the world to adopt Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s 10-point peace plan, which he says aligns with the UN-approved resolution calling for Russia to pull out of Ukraine.

“The goal of the standpoint plan is to restore the respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, in full compliance with the UN Charter that we all have committed to respect and uphold,” Kuleba said. “The goal of the plan is to get Russia out of Ukraine and make the world a safer place. Obviously, any new peace proposals should now be aligned with demands set forth by the resolution.”

“Here’s what Russian officials and servicemen have to know: You think you will get away with what you did? You will end up on trial,” Kuleba continued. “You will be testifying how strongly you opposed aggression and how you just followed orders. You think that the world will get tired of supporting Ukraine? The support will only get stronger.”

Russia protested the foreign minister’s address: Before Kuleba addressed the council, Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia argued that allowing the foreign minister to speak before the meeting violated UN procedure.

“I would like to just warn you, the moment you put gavel down, thus formalizing your decision, you will create an egregious precedent, where representatives from Ukraine in the council are given the kind of privilege that is denied to the representative of others,” Nebenzia said to Maltese Foreign Minister Ian Borg, who chaired the meeting.

“What we’re witnessing today is yet another attempt to give certain rights to a group of the country, whereas the EU gives preference to Ukraine because that it is a part of your geopolitical project.”

Kuleba’s address ended in a minute of silence in memory of the victims in Ukraine.

Nebenzia interjected that the silence should be in honor of all of those who have died in Ukraine.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a news conference on the first anniversary of Russian invasion of Ukraine in Kyiv on Friday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was asked by a reporter if he would join negotiations mediated by Turkey if Russian President Vladimir Putin came to the table, and Zelensky said, “I don’t accept it.”

Erdogan “knows my view,” Zelensky said. “We discussed this before the war. I told him to put Putin at the table for negotiations. ‘Can we please do that? We must avert a full-scale war.’ But [Erdogan] was not able to do that. Not only him — he is powerful — but he is not able to do it. And now he thinks that he is? Now we can’t,” Zelensky said Friday.

Zelensky explained why he cannot speak to Putin anymore.

“It is not the same man. There is nobody to talk to there,” he said.

President Joe Biden, right, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hug as they say goodbye at the Memorial Wall of Fallen Defenders of Ukraine in Russian-Ukrainian War with photos of killed soldiers, in Kyiv on Monday, February 20.

US President Joe Biden’s visit to Kyiv showed “there was faith in victory,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday during a news conference in the Ukrainian capital. 

“There was faith in victory and that was President Biden’s visit — that was the main signal,” he said. 

Zelensky added that he has invited Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley to Ukraine. In January, Milley traveled to a site near the Ukraine-Poland border and met with Valerii Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a Security Council meeting at United Nations headquarters on Friday.

Speaking at the United Nations on Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken seemed to tacitly downplay a proposal by Beijing to bring an end to the war in Ukraine.

In what could be seen as a dig at China’s newly unveiled 12-point proposal “on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis,” Blinken said he expects “many countries will call for peace today,” but “history teaches us that it’s the nature of peace that matters.”

“For peace to be just, it must uphold the principles at the heart of the UN Charter: sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence. For peace to be durable, it must ensure Russia can’t simply rest, rearm and relaunch its war in a few months, or a few years,” he said. “Any peace that legitimizes Russia’s seizure of land by force will weaken the Charter and send a message to would-be aggressors everywhere that they can invade countries and get away with it.”

The 12-point plan released by Beijing Friday calls for a cessation of hostilities and resumption of peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv. It states that “all parties should support Russia and Ukraine in working in the same direction and resuming direct dialogue as quickly as possible, so as to gradually deescalate the situation and ultimately reach a comprehensive ceasefire.”

Blinken said members of the UN Security Council “should not fall into the false equivalency of calling on both sides to stop fighting, or calling on other nations to stop supporting Ukraine in the name of peace.”

The White House also publicly downplayed the viability of the Chinese proposal Friday. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the administration has read it and thinks, “quite frankly, it could have stopped right after the first two lines,” in which China alludes to respect for national sovereignty.

Some key context: Beijing’s claim to neutrality in its peace proposal has been severely undermined by its refusal to acknowledge the nature of the conflict – it has so far avoided calling it an “invasion” – and its diplomatic and economic support for Moscow.

Western officials have also raised concerns that China may be considering providing Russia with lethal military assistance, an accusation denied by Beijing.

And despite claiming the “sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries must be effectively upheld,” the document fails to acknowledge Russia’s violation of Ukrainian sovereignty.

What Ukraine is saying: At an event in Kyiv held at the same time as Blinken’s remarks to the UN, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to a question about China by saying he was willing to work with Beijing if they show respect for international law and his country’s sovereignty.

CNN’s Nectar Gan, Nikki Carvajal and Simone McCarthy contributed to this report.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 24.

When asked if NATO countries should increase their defense spending given the war in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia’s invasion has forced the world and NATO countries to rethink their security systems.

“A lot of countries in the world (have) started increasing their defense budgets,” he told reporters on Friday. “The war in Ukraine has pushed the reset button on NATO.”

When thinking of defense spending, Zelensky said it’s about more than just ammunition and weapons, and pointed to drones, IT, information sharing and defense against cyber attacks.

“There is a lot of state-of-the-art technology, and it is not universally effective. Of course, some people may be increasing spending. But on the whole, this is also a reform of security systems. I believe that this is right. Because everybody has seen what you can expect of the Russian Federation,” he said at a news conference to mark one year of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a Security Council meeting at United Nations headquarters, New York, on February 24.

On the anniversary of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on the international community not to let Putin’s crimes “become our new normal.”

In his remarks at the United Nations Security Council on Friday — just over one year after he told the same council that Russia was preparing to invade Ukraine – Blinken stressed the need to stand for “the basic principles” of international order.

Blinken catalogued a litany of horrific actions committed by Russia over the past year, and spoke of the “inspiring unity” shown by Ukrainians “in helping one another endure Moscow’s relentless assault.” He also spoke of the way “the international community has come together.”

“Nations around the world continue to stand with Ukraine, because we all recognize that if we abandon Ukraine, we abandon the UN Charter itself, and the principles and rules that make all our countries safer and more secure: No seizing land by force. No erasing another country’s borders. No targeting civilians in war,” Blinken said.

“That’s the world this body was created to end. And members of this council have a unique responsibility to make sure we don’t return to it,” he continued.

The top US diplomat said nations must “reaffirm our commitment to upholding what the UN Charter calls ‘the dignity and worth of the human person,’” emphasizing the need to continue to compile evidence of Russian atrocities, with the goal of one day achieving accountability for those crimes.

“Day after day of Russia’s atrocities, it’s easy to become numb to the horror, to lose our ability to feel shock and outrage,” he said. “But we can never let the crimes Russia is committing become our new normal.”

“We must not let President Putin’s callous indifference to human life become our own,” the secretary continued. “We must force ourselves to remember that behind every atrocity in this wretched war, and in conflicts around the world, is a human being.”

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a news conference on the first anniversary of Russian invasion of Ukraine in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 24.

On the question of China, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelesnky said, “we need to work with China” if they can respect international law and territorial integrity.

“I believe it would be correct to think that if there are thoughts that are consistent with respect for international law and territorial integrity and certain security issues, I believe that we need to use it in a good sense of the word and work with China on this. Why not? Our task is to rally everybody to isolate somebody,” he told reporters Friday.

Some background: China said it is willing to play a constructive role in resolving issues between Ukraine and Russia, its Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Friday in a daily briefing, without providing concrete details.  

The response, a recurrent line that China has been using when asked about its position on the war in Ukraine, was prompted by questions about a position paper issued by Beijing on Friday. 

“We have always maintained that all efforts conducive to the peaceful resolution of the crisis should be encouraged and supported,” Wang said. “On the basis of China’s position paper on the political settlement of the crisis in Ukraine, China is ready to continue to work with the international community to play a constructive role in the political settlement of the crisis in Ukraine.”

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a news conference on the first anniversary of Russian invasion of Ukraine in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 24.

Speaking on the one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed confidence in his country’s ability to fend off the attacks, but did not speculate on how soon the fighting could end.

Zelensky said he is “certain” Ukraine will drive Moscow’s forces from the country “if we stay as one strong fist and work for a victory,” when asked to comment on the timeframe of the war. 

“We have everything for it. We have the motivation, certainty, the friends, the diplomacy. You have all come together for this,” Zelensky said.

CNN’s Radina Gigova contributed to this report.

As President Volodymyr Zelensky hosted a news conference on the one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Zelensky observed a moment of silence for journalists killed while reporting on the war in Ukraine.

“I bow deeply to you for what you have been saying about Ukraine, and that the world is not forgetting Ukraine and is helping us,” he told reporters Friday. “I thank you all, and I want to thank your colleagues, who, unfortunately, are not with us anymore.”

Calling journalism an important profession, he said, “it would be fair to honor the journalists with a minute of silence — those who will be in our memory.”

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a news conference on the first anniversary of Russian invasion of Ukraine in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 24.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is marking the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion with an address from Kyiv.

On Friday, the Russian foreign ministry issued a statement warning NATO and Ukraine against “adventurous steps” in Transnistria — a breakaway region of Moldova where some 1,500 Russian troops are stationed.

It warned that while Moscow stands for using “political and diplomatic means” to solve any issues, Russian forces will ensure the “protection of their compatriots” in Colbasna in Transnistria, and will “adequately respond” to any provocations from Kyiv.

“Any action that poses a threat to their security will be considered, in accordance with international law, as an attack on the Russian Federation,” the statement added.

Ukrainian officials have recently accused Russia of plotting to destabilize Moldova. On February 13, Moldova’s President Maia Sandu echoed Ukraine’s claims and accused Russia of planning to use “saboteurs who have undergone military training and are disguised as civilians” to destabilize the country.

“The statements of President Zelensky about the plans of the Russian Federation to destabilize the Republic of Moldova have been confirmed by our institutions,” she said.

Late Thursday, the Russian defense ministry claimed that Kyiv had “intensified efforts to prepare for an invasion of the Transnistrian Moldovan Republic.”

A prominent Russian military blogger, who goes by the name of WarGonzo, said that “given that we have no direct land supply to Transnistria, and that the unfriendly Moldovan government will most certainly not allow our air force into the sky, the Russian garrison in Transnistria is now probably in the most vulnerable position, compared to the position on other fronts.”

Ukraine responds: Addressing Russian accusations that it is building up forces close to the Moldovan territory, a Ukrainian State Border Service spokesperson said the Ukrainian military and National Guard have taken “increased measures on the border with Transnistria” but solely “to prevent any provocations from the other side.”

“Ukraine has always paid attention to Transnistria, as it is actually an enclave of Russia, which could have been used against our state as early as February 24 last year,” said the spokesperson, Andrii Demchenko.

“Fortunately, we did not record any active or provocative actions in this direction either,” Demchenko added.

CNN’s Mariya Knight contributed to this report.

Germany will send a further four Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, the German defense ministry said in a statement Friday.

This increases the number of tanks Germany is sending to Ukraine from 14 to 18.

“Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, consulting with his military advisors, today decided to hand over a further four Leopard 2 A6 main battle tanks from Bundeswehr stocks to Ukraine,” the statement said.

“With this decision, together with our Portuguese and Swedish partners, we are now able to provide a mixed Ukrainian battalion,” the statement added.

“Together with Poland, an initiative was launched to provide Ukraine with two battalions of Leopard 2 main battle tanks. While Poland has taken over the share of supplying Leopard 2 A4, Germany is coordinating the Leopard 2 A6 share,” the German defense ministry said.

“With today’s announcement by Sweden to deliver ten Leopard 2 A5 main battle tanks, which are technically similar to the German 2 A6 version, together with Portugal we are able to make 31 Leopard 2 available to Ukraine,” the statement added.

Russia’s war in Ukraine needs NATO countries to act together, including the United States, because the war may be in Europe right now, but it could become a direct threat to the US, Polish Consul General Adrian Kubicki said Tuesday.

Russia’s imperialistic ambitions are not new — the threat started with Moscow’s invasion of Crimea, Kubicki explained, adding that there have always been concerns that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not stop at Crimea or even Ukraine.

“We learned from Crimea, and we acted jointly this time,” he said. “Putin decided to invade to prove that (the) West is at its weakest given our internal discussions, but we have proved he is wrong.”

So far, US officials have made clear that American troops won’t engage directly with Russian forces, and NATO members have also been cautious about its support measures for Ukraine so as to not engage in a “full-fledged war in Europe.”

Kubicki reiterated that a unified response is imperative because if concerns about Putin’s ambition prove true and the war spills into a NATO member nation, it would trigger Article 5 of the alliance.

Article 5 is the principle that an attack on one member of NATO is an attack on all members. It’s been a cornerstone of the 30-member alliance since it was founded in 1949 as a counterweight to the Soviet Union.

Warning Putin against escalation is necessary because the stakes are high and Russian forces are “literally on the border” of Poland, Kubicki noted.

“We need to join our forces to help Ukrainians defend themselves, and also to also defend us,” he said. “This war is not very distant [for Americans,]” he added, saying it may “easily … become a global conflict. It might actually pose a direct threat to the United States of America.”

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks during her bilateral meeting with British Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt on the sidelines of G20 finance ministers' meeting on the outskirts of Bengaluru, India, on February 24.

Russia bears responsibility for the harm and suffering to not only the people of Ukraine, but to the global economy caused by the war, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told MSNBC.

This comes following her remarks directly to Russian officials at the G20 meeting this week in India.

“I think there’s widespread agreement that ending this brutal war on Ukraine is the single most-important policy change that would benefit the global economy and its outlook,” she said, adding that the “worst damage” falls on “very low income countries that are seeing food prices and energy prices rise” as a result of the war.

Discussing US sanctions imposed on Russia, she said she believes they are having a significant impact even as authorities look for ways to strengthen them and diminish ways for Russia to evade the sanctions. The objective is to degrade Russia’s ability to continue the war, she added.

Sweden has pledged to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Friday.

The military package also includes further air defense components, Kristersson said in a tweet.

Landmarks around the world — Eiffel Tower, Sydney Opera House, Empire State Building and others — lit up in the colors of the Ukrainian flag to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country.

Take a look:

France: Eiffel Tower

Members of the public capture images of the Eiffel Tower lit in the colours of the Ukrainnian flag in a show of support to Ukraine in Paris, France, on February 23.

Australia: Sydney Opera House

The sails of the Sydney Opera House are illuminated with the colours of the Ukrainian Flag to mark one year since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began, in Sydney, Australia, on February 24.

Belgium: European Union buildings

EU Commission, European Council and European Parliament buildings are illuminated in the colors of the Ukrainian flag to mark the first anniversary of the war between Russia and Ukraine, in Brussels, Belgium, on February 23.

United States of America: Empire State Building

The Biden administration has announced additional sanctions against Russia as well as additional support for Ukraine on the one-year anniversary of the invasion.

Support for Ukraine includes $9.9 billion in grant financing “to help Ukraine meet the critical needs of its citizens, including healthcare, education, and emergency services.”

The White House also announced sanctions for “over 200 individuals and entities, including both Russian and third-country actors across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East that are supporting Russia’s war effort.”

The US Treasury Department on Friday said it took “one of its most significant sanctions actions to date” to crack down on those aiding Moscow’s war against Ukraine, targeting Russia’s metals and mining sector, its financial institutions, its military supply chain, and individuals and companies worldwide that are helping Moscow avoid existing sanctions. 

Friday’s sweeping actions are meant fill in gaps in existing sanctions that have been imposed over the past year of the war and are intended to impair “key revenue generating sectors in order to further degrade Russia’s economy and diminish its ability to wage war against Ukraine,” according to a White House fact sheet.

The latest tranche of Treasury Department sanctions target a total of 22 individuals and 83 entities, according to a news release, and they were taken in coordination with the Group of Seven, an organization of leaders from some of the world’s largest economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the US.

In addition to the sanctions, the US Commerce Department on Friday “will take several export control actions, listing nearly 90 Russian and third country companies, including in China among other countries, on the Entity List for engaging in sanction evasion and backfill activities in support of Russia’s defense sector,” the fact sheet said. 

Friday’s Treasury sanctions specifically target individuals and companies based outside of Russia that are connected to sanctions evasion, “including those related to arms trafficking and illicit finance,” the Treasury news release said.

In a statement shared by the British Embassy in Moscow, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly urged Russia to withdraw its forces from Ukraine and enter negotiations in good faith.

Cleverly also addressed the Russian people.

“The people of Ukraine do not want war. The rest of the world does not want war. Nor, I believe, do you,” he said. “This war is senseless. It is tragic. The Russian State has fabricated pretext after pretext to justify it.”

Marking the first anniversary of the Russia’s war on Ukraine, Cleverly said, “Thousands of your sons, brothers and loved-ones have been killed. Prices are rising, incomes are falling, and Russia is becoming ever more dependent on foreign powers.”

The UK has “no quarrel with the Russian people” but only with “the path your government is taking,” Cleverly added, saying a “brighter future is possible, but emphasized that the Russian State must change course.”

“There is no going back to the situation before February 24. There is no return to business as usual with Russia!”

Polish President Andrzej Duda marked the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine by pledging not to return to ordinary relations with Moscow in the future.

Duda recalled what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said to him on February 23, 2022 – on the eve of the invasion. 

“As I said goodbye, I saw great determination and courage in his eyes. He said to me at the time: ‘We may never see each other again. No one here will give up. We will fight until the very end.’ I replied: ‘Volodymyr. We will see each other many more times. You can always count on Poland.’”

He said Poland knew Ukraine “would not fall within a week” as initially expected, because of the freedom that unites both countries. 

Duda praised the generosity of Polish families, who have helped provide shelter to millions of Ukrainian refugees who fled to the country since the war began. “There were and there are no refugee camps in Poland. We welcomed and continue to welcome our guests in our homes.” 

The President also acknowledged the importance of American support. “All this would not have been possible without the strong leadership of the United States,” Duda said, adding that the US “is the guarantee of security on the old continent.”

The heating system in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson has been damaged due to Russian shelling and residents may have to remain without heat for several days, the Kherson region military administration said Friday. 

“As a result of artillery shelling on February 23, Kherson’s heating system was damaged. Heat supply to the city was cut off,” the administration said in a Telegram post. 

“Repair crews immediately started working to identify all the damage sites and eliminate the consequences of the enemy attack,” it said. 

Repairing works are ongoing and if the tests are successful, heat supply will be resumed on February 26, the administration said. 

Polish and Ukrainian soldiers are seen on a Leopard 2 tank during a training at the Swietoszow military base in western Poland, on February 13.

A first delivery of Leopard 2 tanks from Poland has arrived in Ukraine, a spokesperson for the Polish defense ministry said on Friday.

“We confirm that at Friday’s meeting of the National Security Council, Mr. Mariusz Błaszczak, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defense, announced that the first Polish Leopards were delivered to Ukraine,” according to a defense ministry spokesperson.

Poland has said it will deliver 14 Leopard 2 tanks in all to Ukraine in the “next two or three weeks” once the training of the Ukrainian troops is complete.

Much of this training has taken place in western Poland. CNN has reported from Poland’s main tank range, in Swietoszow, near the German border, where Ukrainian troops received a crash course in how to run the tanks that Kyiv has sought after for so long. Germany approved the release of Leopard 2 tanks, which it manufactures, last month.

Experts believe Leopard 2 tanks could make a significant difference to Ukraine’s ability to withstand and repel Russian advances. 

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki passes documents for Leopard tanks to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during a joint news briefing in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 24.

“Leopard 2 is a modern, well-protected main battle tank with good sensors,” Jack Watling, senior research fellow in Land Warfare at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), told CNN. “It was originally designed to be maintained by conscripts and is therefore simpler to keep in the fight than some other NATO designs like the Challenger 2. There is also an existing production line to keep Leopard 2s supplied with spare parts.”

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a press conference in Tokyo, Japan, on February 24.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he intends to present the idea of imposing new sanctions against Russia during a virtual meeting with G7 leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday.

Kishida, who is hosting the meeting, told reporters ahead of the meeting that the G7 intends to also urge third-party countries to suspend military support to Russia. 

“The war situation is becoming increasingly tense, with the United States and Europe expanding their arms support while Russia is expanding its new offensive. We would like to exchange views on the latest situation, confirm the unity of the G7, and intensively discuss ways to support reconstruction efforts,” Kishida said. 

The prime minister reiterated the need for restoring “world peace and order” and said “any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force will not be tolerated.”

Kishida is the only G7 leader who has not yet traveled to the Ukrainian capital.

On Friday, he said he was considering a visit “in light of various circumstances, including security and secrecy,” but that there are no concrete plans at this time.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in the early hours of February 24, 2022. Its first signs were the emergence of tanks on the horizon, storming towards the border. Soon after, rockets rained down on Ukraine’s cities. 

In a chilling speech that morning steeped in innuendo and false pretences, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced what he called a “special military operation.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a video address announcing the start of the military operation in eastern Ukraine, in Moscow, in a still image taken from video footage released February 24, 2022.

The address included a threat that anyone “who may be tempted to intervene” in the deadly and illegal attack on Ukraine would face “such consequences as you have never experienced in your history.”

Inhabitants of Kyiv, Ukraine, leave the city following pre-offensive missile strikes of the Russian armed forces on February 24.

That morning, it seemed to the Kremlin and to many observers around the world that the invasion would be complete in weeks, if not days, given Russia’s supposed military might. 

Millions of women and children bolted to Ukraine’s western borders, seeking safety further into Europe, while Kyiv ordered Ukrainian men to stay in the country. 

People seek shelter inside a subway station in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on February 24. 

Roads and train stations were clogged with residents who had frantically packed bags and left their homes, where moments earlier they had been woken by missile fire and air raid sirens. 

It often took many days to get to the borders. When they did, they faced lengthy lines. Eventually, thousands of Ukrainians arrived in Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania or Moldova, in relative safety at last.

Olena Kurylo, a 52-year-old teacher, stands outside a hospital after the bombing of the eastern Ukraine town of Chuguiv on February 24.

But for those who could or would not leave, February 24 was a day of terror and bloodshed.

Russian missile strikes destroyed homes, killed dozens and left many with physical and mental scars.

Police officers inspect the remains of a missile that landed in Kyiv on February 24. 

The missiles seemingly fell everywhere — in the capital Kyiv, on which Moscow’s forces invading from the north had set their sights; in western cities such as Lviv, hundreds of miles from the Russian border; and in towns and urban areas throughout Ukraine. 

People in Kyiv try to board a bus to travel west toward Poland on February 24. 

The remains of a rocket in an apartment after shelling on the northern outskirts of Kharkiv on February 24. 

In a video statement, Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky said he believed “enemy sabotage groups” had entered Kyiv and that he was their number one target. His family, he said, was the second target.

“They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state,” he said, adding he was staying in the government quarter.

Ukrainian President Zelensky holds an emergency meeting in Kyiv on February 24.

Zelensky and his top team rejected opportunities to evacuate, instead staying to coordinate the response.

Ukraine’s troops launched a defiant defence of their country. In the coming weeks, they would slowly but surely turn the tide of the war, repelling Russia’s forces from the center of the country.

But none of that was known on February 24, a day Ukrainians will remember as one of confusion, fear and resistance. 

Ukrainian service members sit atop armored vehicles driving in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region on February 24. 

Inna, Zhenia and Serhiy make candles for the troops at a rehabilitation center in Kyiv, Ukraine.

As Ukraine marks the first anniversary of Russia launching a full-scale war against the country, Ukrainians of all walks of life are actively involved in the efforts to defeat the enemy.

At a rehabilitation center run by Rodyna, a Kyiv-based NGO working with people with learning disabilities, everybody was busy at work on Tuesday afternoon.

The task of the day: trench candles. The group has joined thousands of people across the country in crafting these improvised candles from empty tins.

A collection point for tins; the sign says “Cans for AFU” (Armed Forces of Ukraine)

Serhiy, 38 and Zhenia, 32, were patiently cutting long, thin strips from cardboard, rolling them up and stuffing them into the tins. Inna, 35, sat next to them, observing and helping to roll the paper.

Once all of the containers were stuffed with the cardboard, they would be filled to the rim with melted wax, then set aside to cool down.

The improvised candles last for hours, producing both light and warmth as they burn.

Making them has become a favorite — and extremely useful — pastime for thousands of people around the country, similar to last year’s initiative to make Molotov cocktails for the military checkpoints. There are collection points for empty tins in many residential buildings in Kyiv.

Nadiia Mayorova, Rodyna’s manager, told CNN that candle making is a popular activity at the center. It’s a good therapy, because it allows the clients to learn new skills and practice their motor skills — all while completing a genuinely useful task.

Ongoing Russian shelling has killed at least three civilians in Ukraine’s east and south, and injured several others over the last 24 hours, according to the latest situational updates from local authorities. Here’s what happening across the country:

Donetsk region:

• At least two people were killed and seven injured as a result of Russian shelling across the Donetsk region over the last 24 hours, according to authorities. 
• Shelling has been reported in residential areas in several of the region’s cities and towns, including Avdiivka, Bakhmut and Krasnohorivka.

Kherson region: 

• At least one person died and three were injured over the last 24 hours in the southern Kherson region, according to authorities. 
• “Over the past day, the enemy launched 73 attacks, seven of them were in Kherson city,” the Kherson region military administration said in a statement. “More than 30 settlements of the region were hit by the artillery of the Russian occupation forces,” it added. 

Kharkiv region: 

• Two women, ages 54 and 61, and a 43-year-old man were wounded over the last 24 hours in the city of Kupyansk, according to authorities. Residential buildings were also damaged in the city, they said. 
• A woman and a man were injured in the village of Dvorichna, in Kupyansk district, authorities added. 

Shelling has also been reported in other regions of Ukraine, including Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy and Chernihiv, according to local authorities.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks during a news conference on the day of the NATO defence ministers' meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on February 14.

The United States announced a $2 billion dollar aid package to Ukraine as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin vowed that the US would stand by Ukraine “for as long as it takes.” 

The security package, which CNN reported Thursday, includes more rounds for the HIMARS rocket launchers, more artillery ammunition, as well as different drones and counter-drone equipment. Russia has used Iranian drones to target Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, cutting off power to different parts of the country at times. 

Unlike drawdown packages which pull military equipment directly from US stocks, this aid falls under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which contracts with industry to procure the equipment. The aid does not arrive in Ukraine as quickly, but it is part of a longer-term commitment to continue providing Ukraine with lethal and non-lethal supplies. 

As the war hits its one-year mark, Austin called Russia’s invasion “the most urgent danger to European security since the end of the World War II.”

Austin acknowledged the challenges ahead for Ukraine in the face of frequent Russian bombardments, but he vowed that the US and a coalition of allies under the Ukraine Defense Contact Group would continue to provide Kyiv the tools and weapons it needs for the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is seen on a screen as he addresses guests during a commemoration event on February 24, at the presidential Bellevue Palace in Berlin, Germany.

Ukraine is capable of putting an end to the Russian invasion this year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address to a commemorative event in Berlin on the first anniversary of the war.

Reflecting on the year that’s passed, Zelensky spoke boldly of the year ahead. Ukraine has the power to win “in unity, resolutely and steadfastly,” he said. 

He also thanked Germany and all allies for standing with his country and said because of the support shown to Ukraine, no one nation would “dare aggression against another nation if he knows that the free world will defend that nation.”

“No one will attack freedom again if he knows that the free world is determined enough to defend freedom. No one will repeat February 24 of last year if he knows that not a single occupier remained on the entire territory of Ukraine.”

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas on Friday asked European countries to “jointly procure ammunition for Ukraine,” as European Union states did with coronavirus shots during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kallas spoke at a news conference alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Tallinn, to mark the anniversary of the Estonian Declaration of Independence and the first anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 

Kallas drew a parallel between those events, saying: “Estonia had the courage to fight for our freedom. The same applies for Ukrainian friends. Their courage and freedom today is a reminder that freedom is not given and need constant care.”

“Freedom also needs friends and partners … Ukraine’s place is in the European Union and after the end of the war, also in NATO.” Kallas said.

“For this we must also believe in Ukraine’s victory. Ukraine needs enough weapons and ammunition to win the war.” Kallas urged. “That is why I propose for that EU member states jointly procure ammunition for Ukraine. During the pandemic we were able to react quickly to jointly procure vaccines. Let us act quickly now and send more ammunition to Ukraine.”

Kallas also called the Russian threat a “long-term one” and called on European countries to invest more in their own defense.

“One year ago, I was woken up by explosions,” Alina Shapoval recalled, echoing the memories of countless Ukrainians from the morning that Russia launched its assault on the country exactly one year ago.

Shapoval, 36, lived in Kyiv and hailed from Nova Kakhovka, a city in the Kherson region which is now occupied by Russian forces. Her first hours of war resembled those of millions of her compatriots — frantically ringing family members, grabbing a travel bag, leaving home.

At first, Shapoval didn’t go far. She stayed with a relative and volunteered to help supply the armed forces with clothing and equipment, just as she had done after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.

“Full of adrenalin we’ve spent (the) first weeks helping our guys, with almost no sleep,” she told CNN. “I wanted to stay in Ukraine but it was dangerous and almost impossible.”

Shapoval eventually joined the millions who have fled west, staying with a friend in Switzerland for nine months, then moving on to Wroclaw in Poland. 

She felt her life was “torn into pieces.”

“I didn’t see my relatives for such a long time, I didn’t know if I’ll see them again,” she said.

Olexander Atamas, 35, was living in Irpin when Russia invaded. “I was prepared, but even (still) it was unexpected when it happened,” he said. “I felt fear, I was stressed, psychologically it unsettled me.”

Atamas is now serving with Ukraine’s Naval Forces. “Currently there is no fear at all, there is a confidence that everything will develop in a right way, we’ll go through this modern liberation struggle, our state will withstand, will win, will get back our territories.”

Fear quickly turned to defiance for millions of Ukrainians. 

“I remember February 24th very clearly; that day I opened YouTube with my sweaty palms and started to learn how to use a gun,” Yegor Firsov, a combat paramedic in the Ukrainian military on eastern frontline, and a former lawmaker, told CNN.

“Morally and psychologically, no one was ready for war. But we overcame our fear, we gathered our strength,” he said.

“We are ready to fight as long as will be needed – day, month or years.”

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, left, meets Ukrainian soldiers during a visit to Bovington Camp on February 22, in Dorset, England.

The United Kingdom is prepared to supply fighter jets to its European allies, so that they can in turn send old Soviet fighter jets to Ukraine, according to British defense secretary Ben Wallace.

Wallace said a quick way for Ukraine to “benefit from fighter jets is for those countries in Europe that have Russian Soviet fighter jets – MiG 29s or Su-24s – if they wish to donate we can use our fighter jets to backfill and provide security for them as a result,” in an interview with Times Radio on Friday.

Wallace also said that the UK is working to rebuild its ammunition stockpile, noting depleted supplies since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“This Ukraine war and the way Russia is fighting has shown across the West that our stockpiles over the last three decades have often borne the brunt of defense cuts and we have to restock those.” Wallace told Sky News. 

Wallace also downplayed concerns regarding China’s support for Russia, noting Beijing’s choice to abstain from voting at Thursday’s UN General Assembly Resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“If your big neighbor doesn’t vote actively in support of you it is sending a strong message to President Putin that this is unwise and a folly and that he should cease,” Wallace said.

The defense secretary added that he is “confident that China is pretty clear that it wants this to stop. Ultimately China knows that Russia’s behavior has been de-stabilizing.”

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also tweeted his support for Ukraine Friday. “Stand together. Stand United,” Sunak wrote.

Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said Friday that Ukraine is “entering a new period” with “a new task — to win,” as the country marks the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion.

Reznikov reflected on how many assumptions about Ukraine before the war began have since been shattered.

“A year ago, many expected that Ukraine would be gone in a few weeks. Everything has changed. Today, the main question on the agenda is what will Ukraine’s victory look like,” Reznikov said in a statement.

He said “victory” means the restoration of Ukraine’s 1991 borders and the elimination of the threat from Russia.

“There is no more uncertainty like a year ago. It will not be easy. But we will manage,” he said. “We have confidence in our abilities. There is rage and a desire for revenge for our fallen,” he added.

Reznikov also noted how Europe’s support for Ukraine has shifted over the past year.

When the war began, he said “it was difficult for us to get serious weapons. Today, civilized countries see that you [Ukrainian servicemen] are the shield of Europe in the east. Europe will never be safe without Ukraine.”

“It was a year of great heroes and great tragedies, of victory and pain,” he said. “We survived. We have endured. Now we are entering a new period. With a new task — to win,” he said.

A man pushes his bike through destroyed Russian military vehicles in Bucha on April 6, 2022.

A year has passed since Russian troops rolled into Bucha, and the suburb of Kyiv is trying hard to move on from the horrors it endured. There’s construction work on every corner and the cleanup operation has almost finished. The residents, however, remain scarred.

Almost every house on Vokzalna Street was destroyed and most are now being rebuilt with the help of foreign donors and volunteer construction workers, who work for minimum wage, food, and lodging. Long wooden beams have recently been delivered to multiple homes on the street; some still lie in neat piles by the roadside, others are already up on the roofs that are being restored.

Kostiantyn Momotov’s house — where the 70-year-old man has lived for almost four decades — was hit multiple times during the month-long occupation. When the Russians finally withdrew and he started clearing out the debris, he found body parts among the rubble in his yard.

“Five houses to the north of mine caught fire from the burning vehicles and ammo and their soldiers were blown to pieces. Their hands and legs and pieces were all over,” he said.

Bucha officials are trying to find ways to memorialize the events that took place there a year ago. Photographs taken in the first days after the liberation are on display in a separate hall in the town’s Church of St. Andrew. Many are extremely graphic, depicting victims of some of the worst atrocities.

The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s office said it had identified 91 Russian soldiers responsible for alleged war crimes in Bucha.

“During the occupation, the Russian army committed more than 9,000 war crimes in the Bucha district of Kyiv region, and more than 1,700 civilians were killed, including about 700 in Bucha,” the office said on Twitter. “So far, 91 Russian military personnel involved in these crimes have been identified. The work on bringing all those involved to justice is ongoing.”

Read more here.

King Charles III holds an audience with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at London's Buckingham Palace on February 8.

Britain’s King Charles commended the people of Ukraine for showing “truly remarkable courage and resilience in the face of such human tragedy,” in a message marking 12 months of conflict in Ukraine. 

“It has now been a year that the people of Ukraine have suffered unimaginably from an unprovoked full-scale attack on their nation,” Charles said in a statement Friday

“The world has watched in horror at all the unnecessary suffering inflicted upon Ukrainians, many of whom I have had the great pleasure of meeting here in the UK and, indeed, across the world, from Romania to Canada.” 

The King reaffirmed his support to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom he met at Buckingham Palace earlier this month, and expressed his “personal support” for the people of Ukraine. 

Ukraine is calling on international partners to “redouble” their support as the country and the world mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday. 

“At this crucial stage of the war, we call on our international partners to redouble their comprehensive and critically needed support for Ukraine in order to speed up the Ukrainian victory,” the ministry said. 

 “Vitally important is the further consolidation of efforts around the Peace Formula of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the implementation of which will ensure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and prevent the recurrence of similar aggression in the future,” the ministry said. 

“The indispensable prerequisites for the installation of peace must be complete withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine, restoration of its internationally recognized borders, reparations for the damage caused by Russia’s aggression, and bringing those who gave criminal orders and those who executed them to international criminal responsibility,” the ministry said.

“Ukraine will continue moving towards its victory over the Russian aggression and full-fledged membership of the EU and NATO,” the ministry said. “We pay tribute to the bravery and heroism of Ukrainian men and women of all defense and security forces protecting Ukraine.”

Kathalina Pahitsky, 16, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 24.

Kyiv woke up feeling anxious on Friday, the first anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

For the past few days, the city felt emptier than usual. Some residents have left the capital, fearing a new wave of attacks. Many parents decided to keep their children home from school and the public transport system was less busy than usual during the morning rush hour.

Security has been heightened during the anniversary week, with more troops and police officers visible in the streets.

A string of events commemorating the anniversary begun early in the morning, with President Volodymyr Zelensky attending a military ceremony outside the St. Sophia Cathedral in central Kyiv.

“You will decide whether Ukraine is going to exist,” he told the assembled troops.

Just down the road, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov came to pay respect to those who lost their lives in the fighting.

Kathalina Pahitsky, 16, came to the St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery on Friday to lay flowers in memory of two former students from her school. As a student president of the school, she told CNN she felt it was her duty to represent her classmates and pay her respects.

She said it felt important to make sure the fallen are remembered and celebrated. “Their photographs are here on the main street. It’s a great honor. They died as heroes. So it’s very important for us. And it would have been for them,” she said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, center left, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, center and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, center right, walk in the old town in Tallinn, Estonia, on February 24.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday that supporting Ukraine is “not just the morally right thing to do,” but is “also in our own security interest.”

Stoltenberg spoke at a news conference alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas in Tallinn, to mark the anniversary of the Estonian Declaration of Independence and the first anniversary of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

“Some worry our support to Ukraine will trigger escalation. But there are no risk-free options and the biggest risk of all is if President Putin wins, because the message to him and other authoritarian leaders would be that they can use force to get what they want. That will make the world more dangerous and more vulnerable,” Stoltenberg said.

Drawing a line from the past to the present, the NATO head told the Estonian people that “your history is a strong reminder that we cannot take our freedom for granted.”

“Today it is the Ukrainian people who are bravely fighting for their freedom. And despite a dark year of despair and destruction, their determination and courage will no doubt prevail,” he added.

Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council Dmitry Medvedev attends a military parade on Victory Day in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia, on May 9, 2022.

Russia should push back its borders “as far as possible,” former Russian President and Deputy Chair of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev said on the one-year anniversary of its invasion of Ukraine.

“It is so important to achieve all the goals of the ‘special military operation’,” Medvedev said in a Telegram post on Friday, using the term Russia uses to describe its war on Ukraine.

“Push the borders of threats to our country as far as possible, even if these are the borders of Poland,” he said, referring to Ukraine’s westernmost demarcations.

Medvedev said that Russia will achieve a victory against Ukraine. He added that “we all want this to happen as soon as possible. And that day will come. We will get back our territories and reliably protect our people.”

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky delivers a speech at a ceremony dedicated to the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 24.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gave a speech to troops in Kyiv on Friday, the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of the country.

“It is you who will decide whether we are all going to exist. Whether Ukraine is going to exist. Every day. Every hour. It is you – Ukrainian soldiers – which will decide it,” Zelensky told them.

Ukraine’s armed forces have mounted a resilient defence of their country in the year since the invasion, turning what many expected to be a lightning-fast Russian assault into a grinding and finely poised conflict.

Earlier on Friday, Zelensky said that 2023 will be the year of Ukraine’s victory on the battlefield.

“On February 24, millions of us made a choice. Not a white flag, but the blue and yellow one. Not fleeing, but facing. Resisting & fighting,” Zelensky said in a tweet.

The Ukrainian military is on alert for any attacks by Russian forces on Friday, as the country marks the first anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion, a spokesman for Ukraine’s Air Force said.

“The threat of attacks remains, this is obvious,” Air Force Command Spokesman Yurii Ihnat said on Ukrainian television. “The day that has become symbolic for everyone, for the whole world, has just begun. Today, the whole world expects provocations.”

Ihnat said Russia would be aware that Ukrainian authorities have bolstered security measures across the country ahead of Friday’s anniversary and may adjust their tactics accordingly.

“There is a threat that the enemy may want to make some ‘surprises’ for us this day. But there is no need to expect [attacks],” he said. “They see that we are expecting, that we have been preparing, that we understand the potential threat and can do it [launch an attack] on another day. Any day.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin speaks at a press conference in Beijing, China, on January 11.

China’s Foreign Ministry said Friday that the country takes a “responsible approach” to military exports and does not provide arms sales to conflict areas, a day after a German media outlet claimed Beijing is negotiating with Moscow to supply drones. 

“China has always taken a prudent and responsible approach to military exports and does not provide any arms sales to conflict areas or belligerents,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a daily briefing. “What I know there has been a great deal of disinformation about the Chinese side in this regard recently, and the intentions behind it are worth being wary of.”

Drone claims: Wang’s comments came in response to a question about reporting Thursday by German news magazine Der Spiegel that said Beijing and Moscow are negotiating the purchase of 100 strike drones, which could be delivered as soon as April, according to information the outlet obtained.

Western officials have raised concerns this week that China may be considering providing Russia with lethal military assistance — an accusation denied by Beijing.

China is willing to play a constructive role in resolving issues between Ukraine and Russia, its Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Friday in a daily briefing, without providing concrete details.  

The response, a recurrent line that China has been using when asked about its position on the war in Ukraine, was prompted by questions about a position paper issued by Beijing on Friday. 

“We have always maintained that all efforts conducive to the peaceful resolution of the crisis should be encouraged and supported,” Wang said. “On the basis of China’s position paper on the political settlement of the crisis in Ukraine, China is ready to continue to work with the international community to play a constructive role in the political settlement of the crisis in Ukraine.”

New paper, old message: In the new document addressing the war in Ukraine, China’s Foreign Ministry called for a resumption of peace talks, an end to unilateral sanctions, and stressed its opposition to the use of nuclear weapons — a stance Chinese leader Xi Jinping communicated to Western leaders last year.

The 12-point paper is part of Beijing’s latest efforts to present itself as a neutral peace broker, as it struggles to balance its “no-limits” relationship with Moscow and fraying ties with the West as the war drags on.

Beijing’s claim to neutrality has been severely undermined by its refusal to acknowledge the nature of the conflict — it has so far avoided calling it an “invasion” — and its diplomatic and economic support for Moscow.

Western officials have also raised concerns that China may be considering providing Russia with lethal military assistance, an accusation denied by Beijing.

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly walks outside Downing Street in London, England, on February 21.

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on Friday announced a new package of sanctions and trade measures against Russia, coinciding with the first anniversary of President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine.

The new package includes an export ban on “every item Russia has been found using on the battlefield to date,” including aircraft parts, radio equipment and electronics, he said.

“Military intelligence has shown that a shortage of components in Russia as a result of sanctions is already likely affecting their ability to produce equipment for export, such as armored vehicles, attack helicopters and air defense systems. As a result, it is highly likely that Russia’s role as a reliable arms exporter and their military-industrial complex are being undermined by international sanctions,” Cleverly said.
“Today’s measures will damage them further, undermining Putin’s military machine which is already having to mobilize Soviet-era tanks and harvest freezers for low-grade chips.”

The sanctions also target 92 individuals and entities, including executives at Russian banks, nuclear power firms and defense companies.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends an event at the Kremlin, on February 9 in Moscow.

If you can remember clearly the Europe of a dizzying year ago, perhaps the biggest surprise in where we find ourselves now is the extent to which the West has been reminded of its values and purpose.

Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine served as the unwitting antidote to six years of clumsy populism and the huge economic and psychological shock of the pandemic. It also worked to counter a sense that morality, and the virtue of values, were becoming obsolete in the face of the many challenges posed by the world’s crises.

It shouldn’t have taken the deaths of thousands of innocent Ukrainians, the threat of nuclear attack, and the leveling of so much of a country, to make this point. But it’s perhaps the revulsion to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s brutal and inept war that helped Europe and the rest of the West rediscover a collective sense of purpose.

The eyes of three old men thrust into our van in Posad Pokhrovka, in the early days of the war, desperate to flee shelling that had torn their world apart, still haunt me: Not even the Nazis beat them like that, they said, sobbing. They never thought they’d live long enough to see worse than the 1940s.

Wars can intensify scrutiny of both sides’ conduct to the point where each can be accused of some degree of wrongdoing. So, it’s important to pause at this point and consider the ugliness of the way Russia has waged this war.

Read the full analysis here.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russian mercenary group Wagner, said Friday that his fighters have taken full control of a northwestern suburb of Bakhmut, a strategic city in eastern Ukraine where fierce fighting has raged for months.

CNN could not immediately verify Prigozhin’s claim that the village of Berkhivka had fallen under Wagner’s control.

It comes after a Ukrainian military official on Thursday said the situation near Bakhmut remains “the most difficult” as Russian forces try to encircle the city.

Before launching its full-scale invasion, Moscow had its eyes on what it thought was a weakness: Ukraine’s power grid.

And yet after hundreds of attacks on its energy facilities, the country has managed to keep the lights on.

Since October, Moscow’s forces have launched hundreds of missiles and drones at energy infrastructure far from the front line, temporarily cutting off electricity, heat and water to millions.

Their attacks appear to be aimed at breaking the country’s power grid and the will of the people with it — a campaign of terror that violates international law.

But Ukrainians have persevered through the cold and darkness.

See how they did it in this CNN special report.

Ukrainian diplomat Zhanna Leshchynska speaks during a press conference on the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, at the EU Delegation to China in Beijing on February 24.

China’s release of a document Friday outlining its position on the conflict in Ukraine is “a good sign,” a Ukrainian diplomat said, as she urged Beijing to engage with Kyiv and “do more to end the war.”

Speaking at an event in the Chinese capital, Zhanna Leshchynska, Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires to Beijing, said “China should do everything in its power to stop the war and restore peace in Ukraine and urge Russia to withdraw its troops.”

As a self-proclaimed neutral party, Beijing should speak to both Moscow and Kyiv, she added. “In neutrality, China should talk to both sides: Russia and Ukraine, and now we can see China is not talking to Ukraine,” she said.

In its 12-point position paper released Friday, China reiterated its calls for a political settlement to the conflict and called for a resumption of peace talks, an end to unilateral sanctions and stressed its opposition to the use of nuclear weapons

“The fact that Chinese government published this document is a good sign and it’s a good fact that China is trying to be involved more in the global effort to end the war in Ukraine,” Leshchynska said.  

China must fulfil its responsibility as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the European Union’s ambassador to Beijing said on Friday.

Speaking at an event in Beijing, EU ambassador Jorge Toledo Albinana said the permanent members of the security council “have a special responsibility to defend the [UN] charter in the face of this kind of aggression,” adding, “this is why we continue to call on our host China to fulfil its special responsibility.”

The Security Council, which has 15 members, has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. Alongside the five permanent members of the United States, Russia, France, China and the United Kingdom, 10 temporary members are elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms.

The UN was created to avoid “the exact kind of brutality in Ukraine,” the Spanish diplomat said.

China’s position: In a news briefing Friday, Albinana said a 12-point document released by Beijing earlier in the day detailing its its position on the war in Ukraine is “not a peace proposal,” and its content was something “which we knew already.”

“From what I have seen, there is no mention of an aggressor, which is strange, because it’s clear there is an aggressor, an aggression [that is] illegal and unprovoked, so that is a bit concerning,” Albinana said.

In the document, China reiterated its calls for a political settlement to the conflict and called for a resumption of peace talks, an end to unilateral sanctions, and stressed its opposition to the use of nuclear weapons

The EU will study the position paper closely, Albinana said.

Zelensky attends a news briefing in Kyiv on February 15.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that despite all the hardships suffered by Ukrainians during the past 12 months of war, 2023 will be the year of the country’s victory over Russia. 

“On February 24, millions of us made a choice. Not a white flag, but the blue and yellow one. Not fleeing, but facing. Resisting & fighting,” Zelensky said in a tweet marking the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion. “It was a year of pain, sorrow, faith, and unity. And this year, we remained invincible. We know that 2023 will be the year of our victory.”

Ukrainian authorities are bolstering security measures across the country on Friday as they brace for potential Russian attacks to mark the anniversary.

The United States is prepared to support Ukraine for the long haul in the war against Russia and is confident Kyiv will prevail, senior Biden administration officials told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria at a CNN town hall marking the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion.

Here are the top takeaways:

“Russia has already lost”: US officials have signaled that the war is likely to drag on for months, with no real end in sight. But National Security adviser Jake Sullivan argued that one year into the conflict, Ukraine has already stopped Russia from accomplishing its main objective of taking over the capital of Kyiv. Ukrainians want to know about weapons: Sullivan was asked by a Ukrainian soldier whether the US would be able to increase production of ammunition and other weapons to Ukraine. Sullivan answered the US will do “everything in our power to get you the equipment and the ammunition” that Ukraine needs. Limits to US help: Sullivan told Zakaria the US has provided Ukraine with the assistance it needs for each phase of the war. But he acknowledged that Kyiv has often asked for more than the US is willing to give — though in many cases the Biden administration has eventually transferred weapons it had initially resisted sending. F-16 fighter jets requested by Ukraine “are not the key capability” for the country’s current needs to launch a counteroffensive against Russian forces, Sullivan said. US closely watching China: Sullivan said US officials have not ruled out a move by Beijing to provide lethal military aid to Moscow. Still, he argued that the idea Russia and China are becoming “unbreakable allies” is disproven because Beijing has taken a careful stance toward the war, noting it abstained instead of voting with Moscow on a recent UN resolution. US will not abandon Ukraine: Both Sullivan and Samantha Power, administrator of the US Agency for International Development, brushed aside criticism from some of Biden’s Republican critics that the billions of dollars the US is spending in Ukraine would be better spent at home. Power assured that US assistance is properly being used to support Ukraine in the war. Ukraine reconstruction will be a “mammoth undertaking:” Power acknowledged the long road ahead for Ukraine to rebuild when the war ends. Some estimates have totaled the damage to date at $130 billion, she noted.

Read more here.

People crowd under a destroyed bridge as they try to flee by crossing the Irpin River on the outskirts of Kyiv on March 5, 2022.

It has now been a year since the world witnessed Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of people, the destruction of many cities, and forced millions of Ukrainians to become refugees.

Here is a timeline of the key moments that unfolded during the invasion:

• February 2022: In the early hours of Feb. 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops into Ukraine. Kyiv’s Western allies had been warning of looming Russian aggression for months. Still, Putin’s decision came as a shock to many in Ukraine and across the world. Speaking on Russian state television, he announced the launch of what he called a “special military operation” to “demilitarize” and “denazifiy” Ukraine. Moments later, the first explosions were heard across Ukraine. A series of missile attacks and the use of long-range artillery quickly spread across central and eastern Ukraine as Russian forces attacked the country from three sides.
• March: On March 2, Russia claimed its forces fully held Kherson, a city of about 300,000. Ukrainian authorities disputed the claims at the time. Putin claimed the war was “going according to plan” as his troops were laying siege to the key Ukrainian city of Mariupol on March 3. A maternity hospital in the southeastern city was hit by a Russian missile. The attack came despite Russia agreeing to a 12-hour pause in hostilities to allow refugees to evacuate. On March 16, The bombing of Mariupol’s Drama Theater was among the most brazen of Russia’s attacks on civilians. Ukrainian officials estimated 1,300 people were sheltering in the theater. Around 300 died that day, authorities said at the time, but subsequent reports suggested the death toll could be higher. Russia denied its forces were responsible.
• April: When Russian troops withdrew from Bucha in early April, they left behind a trail of destruction — and evidence of summary executions, brutality and indiscriminate shelling. Images showing dozens of bodies of civilians scattered around a single street in Bucha prompted calls for Russia to be investigated for war crimes. Moskva, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, sank on Apr. 14. The cause remains disputed. Ukraine said it hit the Moskva with anti-ship cruise missiles, sparking a fire that detonated stored ammunition. Russia blamed a fire of unknown origin. Whatever the reason, the loss of the guided-missile cruiser was a major military embarrassment for Russia and its biggest wartime loss of a naval ship in 40 years.
• May: The sprawling Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol became another symbol of Ukrainian resistance in the face of a much larger enemy. Defenders of the plant withstood weeks of relentless Russian bombardment before finally surrendering in May.
• September: A blistering Ukrainian counteroffensive in eastern Ukraine in September recaptured large swaths of territory and forced Russian troops to flee the Kharkiv region. Moscow tried to spin the hasty withdrawal as “regrouping.” But in a sign of just how badly things were going for Russia, the military was publicly criticized by a number of high-profile Kremlin loyalists including Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who supplied thousands of fighters to the offensive. Following a string of embarrassing defeats in Ukraine, Putin announced Russia’s first mobilization since World War II on Sept. 21. The controversial draft sparked protests — a rare sight in Russia — and an exodus of men of fighting age from the country.
• October: In another major blow to Moscow, the only bridge connecting Russia with the Crimean Peninsula was severely damaged by an explosion on Oct. 8. The Kerch Strait road-and-rail bridge is both strategically important and hugely symbolic. It was opened by Putin in 2018, four years after Russia illegally annexed Crimea from Ukraine. On Oct. 10, a new phase of the war began when Russia launched the first of several waves of missile strikes on Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure. Using missiles, artillery shells and Iranian-made drones, Moscow began targeting Ukrainian power facilities, leaving large areas of the country without power and water.
• November: After eight months of brutal Russian occupation, the southern city of Kherson was liberated on Nov. 12, prompting scenes of celebration by residents. Russia’s hasty withdrawal from the west bank of the Dnipro River was another bleak moment for Moscow, since Kherson was the only Ukrainian regional capital that Russian forces had captured. Putin himself had formally declared Kherson to be Russian territory just weeks before his troops’ retreat.
• December: On Dec. 21, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to Washington, DC to meet with US President Joe Biden at the White House and to address the US Congress. It was a historic and consequential visit, the first foreign trip Zelensky had made since Russia launched its invasion. Ahead of Zelensky’s arrival, the Biden administration announced it was sending nearly $2 billion in additional security assistance to Ukraine — including a sophisticated new Patriot air defense system.
• January 2023: After weeks of geopolitical squabbling, a major moment arrived on Jan. 25 when Germany announced it would provide Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv and allow other European countries to export the German-made battle tank. At the same time, Biden said the US would send 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine.
• February: Biden made a highly symbolic surprise visit to Kyiv on Feb. 20, his first since Russia’s full-scale invasion. Standing alongside Zelensky, the US president recalled how the pair spoke by phone as Russian forces rolled in. “One year later, Kyiv stands. And Ukraine stands. Democracy stands,” Biden declared. “The Americans stand with you and the world stands with you.” Zelensky said Biden’s visit brought Ukraine “closer to victory.”

As the war in Ukraine hits the one-year mark, civilians inside the country and those who’ve fled desperately need humanitarian aid.

In recent months, Russian attacks dramatically degraded Ukraine’s power and heating infrastructure, leaving many to struggle for electricity and gas supplies.

The UNHCR estimates more than 6.5 million Ukrainians are internally displaced and over 7.8 million refugees have left the country.

“The war in Ukraine is a humanitarian disaster for all people. The onset of winter dramatically increases life threatening risks faced both by refugees who have been forced to flee the country and especially for the millions of people who have been uprooted inside Ukraine itself and are trying to survive in their damaged homes, often without heat and electricity or water,” UNHCR spokesperson Christopher Boian told CNN.

CNN audiences have donated more than $8 million to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Ukraine, but as the war continues more support is needed.

Find out how to help here.

It began in the dead of night. 

At 4 a.m., at border crossings and sea ports in north, east and south Ukraine, rolling convoys of Russian tanks pierced through the pitch-black calm, launching an all-out invasion that brought to a crashing end an era of relative peace in Europe.

Few Ukrainians will forget the morning of Feb. 24, 2022 when millions were pulled from their beds by the wail of air raid sirens and the explosions of Russian missiles in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia and dozens more cities and towns.

The invasion upended the global order and sent economies into freefall. But its most terrible weight was felt by those caught in its crosshairs, that morning and in the year since. Thousands of Ukrainian civilians have died during the largest ground war in Europe since 1945; millions have fled west, seeking safety; many stayed to fight. 

For 12 months, Ukraine’s armed forces have mounted a resilient defense, defying expectations in Moscow that the invasion would be completed in days. Russian tanks never reached Kyiv’s city center; instead, they were pushed out of northern Ukraine, and stifled in grinding battles in the east and south. 

But episodes of bloodshed and savagery at the hands of Russian forces have struck at the heart of Ukrainians and appalled onlookers around the world. 

Europe and the United States have rallied against Russian President Vladimir Putin, forging the widest geopolitical divide between East and West since the depths of the Cold War. 

And fears of nuclear attacks have shaken observers thousands of miles from the frontlines.

On Friday, as the war thunders on, Ukrainians and millions around the world will stop to reflect on the horrors of the past year and the uncertain future that lies ahead.

Watch the moment that CNN’s Matthew Chance first heard explosions in Kyiv:

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04:18 - Source: CNN

China has reiterated its calls for a political settlement to the Ukraine conflict on the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion, as Beijing comes under increasing pressure from the United States and its allies over its growing partnership with Moscow.

In a newly released position paper Friday, China’s Foreign Ministry called for a resumption of peace talks, an end to unilateral sanctions, and stressed its opposition to the use of nuclear weapons.

“Conflict and war benefit no one. All parties must stay rational and exercise restraint, avoid fanning the flames and aggravating tensions, and prevent the crisis from deteriorating further or even spiraling out of control,” the paper said.

The 12-point document is part of Beijing’s latest efforts to present itself as a neutral peace broker, as it struggles to balance its “no-limits” friendship with Moscow and fraying relations with the West as the war drags on.

But Beijing’s claim to neutrality is severely undermined by its refusal to acknowledge the nature of the conflict —  it has avoided calling it an “invasion” — and its diplomatic and economic support to Moscow.

Western officials have also raised concerns that China may be considering providing Russia with lethal military assistance, an accusation denied by Beijing.

The position paper is mostly a reiteration of China’s existing position, which includes urging both sides to resume peace talks. “Dialogue and negotiation are the only viable solution to the Ukraine crisis,” it said, adding that China will play a “constructive role,” without offering details.

Read more here.

The US believes the training and equipment it is providing Ukraine will “change the dynamics on the battlefield” in the war against Russia and allow Kyiv’s forces to “breach Russian defenses,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in an interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins for “CNN This Morning” on Thursday.

“We’re training and equipping several brigades of mechanized infantry — that’s a pretty substantial capability,” Austin said. “In addition to that, additional artillery, and so they’ll have the ability to breach Russian defenses and maneuver, and I think that will create a different dynamic.”

Austin’s comments come as the war in Ukraine reaches the one-year mark, with seemingly no end in sight. It also comes on the heels of a highly secretive and surprise visit to Kyiv by President Joe Biden, which aimed to send a stark message about the strength of the two nations’ alliance to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Indeed, Austin echoed a common sentiment among other American officials, including Biden, to CNN, reiterating that the US will stick with Ukraine for as long as it takes.

The US and its allies have provided billions of dollars’ worth of ammunition, weapons systems, and training to the Ukrainians since the war began one year ago — $29.8 billion of that coming from the US alone since the beginning of Russia’s invasion. Recently that has included significant items like the Patriot missile system and M1 Abrams tanks, though both require substantial training and maintenance capabilities.

Read more here.

Yaryna Arieva and Sviatoslav Fursin are not going to celebrate their first wedding anniversary this Friday.

The Ukrainian couple got married on the day Russia launched a full-scale attack on their country. A year later, Ukraine is still at war. Russian missiles are still falling from the sky and people are still dying.

There isn’t much to celebrate, they say. “A year has passed and all the memories, they start coming back,” Arieva told CNN at her and Fursin’s home in Kyiv.

She said that, for months, she avoided wearing a suit she got just days before the invasion began because it was bringing back memories of the darkest moments of her life.

“It’s not the memories you want to have in your head all the time,” she said.

Arieva, 22, and Fursin, 25, rushed to tie the knot in St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery on Feb. 24, 2022 months before their planned wedding in May. They wanted to be together, whatever came next. The place has since become a favorite spot for visiting foreign dignitaries on their show-of-support trips to Kyiv. Most recently, US President Joe Biden was photographed there with Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky during his surprise visit on Monday.

The same day, they collected their weapons and signed up as volunteers with their local unit of territorial defense force, the volunteer branch of Ukraine’s armed forces, determined to defend their city. Arieva serves as an elected Kyiv City councilor, a part-time unpaid government position that meant she was given a weapon.

Read more here.

It has to count as one of the strangest PR campaigns in memory: using a pile of corpses to make your case to the powers that be.

That’s what Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, appears to have done this week in an unusual public appeal for ammunition for his fighters in Ukraine. And in the process, he has cast a harsh light on his open feud with Russia’s military leadership around the anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

On Wednesday, Prigozhin posted a picture on Telegram showing the bodies of several dozen slain Wagner fighters, piled unceremoniously in a courtyard. Alongside that shocking photo, he posted the image of a formal request from Wagner for more ammunition, pointing the finger of blame squarely at the Russian Ministry of Defense for squandering one of those lives.

“This is one of the gathering places of the dead,” Prigozhin said. “These are the guys who died yesterday due to the so-called ‘shell starvation’ [by the Russian MOD]. There should have been five times fewer of them. So mothers, wives and children will get their bodies.”

Apparently, the message got through to someone. In a message and voice note Thursday, Prigozhin said a shipment of ammunition was now on its way to his forces.

“Today at 6 a.m. (local) it was reported that shipment of ammunition begins,” he said. “Most likely, the train has started moving … we are told that the main papers have already been signed.”

What was the rationale behind this ghoulish spectacle? Prigozhin already has a reputation for callousness and cruelty: Late last year, around the New Year’s holiday, he visited a morgue stacked with the body bags of dead Wagner soldiers, many of whom had been recruited from prisons with a promise of amnesty.

“Their contracts are over,” he deadpanned. “They’re going home.”

Read the full analysis here.