Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has marked four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion with a message of defiance and reflection, declaring that Ukraine has preserved its independence and thwarted President Vladimir Putin’s objectives.
In a post on X, Zelenskyy recalled the early days of the war, when Russian forces began what he described as a “three-day push to take Kyiv.”
The anniversary, he wrote, “says a great deal about our resistance, about how Ukraine has fought all this time.” His remarks underscored the endurance of a conflict that has reshaped Ukraine’s society, economy and international standing since February 24, 2022.
His statement paid tribute not only to Ukraine’s armed forces but also to civilians whose lives have been upended by years of fighting, displacement and loss.
“Behind those words stand millions of our people, immense courage, incredibly hard work, endurance, and the long path Ukraine has been pursuing since February 24.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
The reference to Russia’s initial objective of capturing Kyiv within days has become a defining narrative in Ukraine’s account of the war. In the opening phase of the invasion, Russian troops advanced rapidly toward the capital, prompting fears that the government could fall. Four years later, Zelenskyy framed Ukraine’s continued sovereignty as evidence that those ambitions were thwarted.
Also, the Ukrainian leader said that the Russian President has failed to achieve his war goals.
“Looking back at the beginning of the invasion and reflecting on today, we have every right to say: we have defended our independence, we have not lost our statehood; Putin has not achieved his goals.
“He did not break the Ukrainians. He did not win this war. We have preserved Ukraine, and we will do everything to achieve peace – and to ensure there is justice. Glory to Ukraine.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
The war has exacted a heavy human and material cost on Ukraine. Cities and infrastructure have been damaged, and millions have been displaced internally or sought refuge abroad. Yet Zelenskyy’s anniversary message focused squarely on resilience rather than loss.
According to a report by the US-based International Crisis Group, in the war, Russian forces have suffered nearly 1.2 million casualties (killed, wounded and missing) – more losses than any major power in any war since World War II.
It said “as many as 325,000″ have been killed since February 2022. The report stressed that Russian battlefield casualties and deaths were “significantly greater than Ukrainian casualties and fatalities.”
“Ukrainian forces likely suffered somewhere between 500,000 and 600,000 casualties, including killed, wounded and missing, and between 100,000 and 140,000 fatalities between February 2022 and December 2025.
“Combined Russian and Ukrainian casualties may be as high as 1.8 million and could reach two million total casualties by the spring of 2026.”
International Crisis Group
Since the start of the war in 2022, Russia and Ukraine have been involved in talks to end the war, to no avail.
Four days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, high-level officials from both sides met for five hours, but nothing came of it.
In July 2022, the Black Sea Grain Initiative to avoid a global food crisis was signed by Ukraine, Russia, Turkiye and the UN in Istanbul, and became the most significant breakthrough during the first year of the war.
In November 2022, Zelenskyy presented a 10-point peace proposal at the G20 summit in Indonesia, calling for Russia’s withdrawal from all Ukrainian territory, which Moscow refused.
By November 2025, in President Trump’s first term, a 28-point plan to end the war was leaked to the press, reportedly outlining a cap on Ukraine’s military and suggesting that Kyiv could cede territory.
In January 2026, high-level delegations from the US, Ukraine, and Russia met face-to-face for the first time since the war to hold trilateral talks.
Last Thursday, the second round of trilateral talks in Geneva ended with no breakthrough.
Ukraine’s Reconstruction To Cost $588bn Over Next Decade
As the war enters its fifth year, reconstruction costs are now estimated at $588bn over the next decade, according to a new assessment by the World Bank, UN, European Commission and Ukrainian government.
The report showed a 12 percent increase from last year’s estimate, based in part on a 21 percent jump in damaged or destroyed energy infrastructure.
The estimate, the fifth conducted since the start of the war, found direct damage in Ukraine had reached $195bn, with housing, transport and energy sectors most affected, the groups said. That is more than double the damage reported in the first report in 2022.
As the war drags on, Zelenskyy’s message aims to sustain morale at home and signal resolve abroad. However, when peace will come remains an open question.
