On Invasion Anniversary, Zelenskiy Says Russia 'Must Lose' In Ukraine As Allies Pledge More Aid

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service and
Aleksander Palikot

February 24, 2023 08:35 CET Updated February 24, 2023 20:27 CET

A Ukrainian Army officer kisses the flag of a military unit held by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during a ceremony marking the anniversary of Russian's invasion, on February 24.

KYIV -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia "must lose in Ukraine" as Moscow's full-scale invasion entered its second year on February 24 amid heavy fighting in the east and south, while Ukraine's Western allies marked the anniversary by announcing more military aid for Kyiv.

"On February 24, millions of us made a choice: not a white flag, but a blue-and-yellow flag," Zelenskiy told Ukrainians in a message on social media at the start of a busy day of speeches, commemorations, and a more than two-hour briefing with reporters.

"Not escape, but resistance. Resistance against the enemy. Resistance and struggle. It was a year of pain, regret, faith and unity. And this is the year of our indomitability," Zelenskiy said in his message on February 24, adding, "We know that this will be the year of our victory."

Russia had hoped that its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine that President Vladimir Putin called "a special military operation" would end in a matter of days as Moscow's forces attempted to occupy Kyiv and overthrow Zelenskiy's pro-Western government.

But the invading army met with obdurate Ukrainian resistance and was forced to withdraw from the capital amid heavy human and equipment losses.

Zelenskiy separately told a conference in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius that only defeat in Ukraine would stave off Russian President Vladimir Putin's expansionist policies toward Moscow's former sphere of influence.

"Russia must lose in Ukraine," Zelenskiy told a conference in Vilnius via video link later on February 24. "Russian revanchism must forever forget about Kyiv and Vilnius, about Chisinau and Warsaw, about our brothers in Latvia and Estonia, in Georgia, and every other country that is now threatened."

Zelenskiy participated later on February 24 in a ceremony in Kyiv's St. Sophia Square, awarding medals to soldiers and the mother of one killed.

"We have become one family.... Ukrainians have sheltered Ukrainians, opened their homes and hearts to those who were forced to flee the war," he said in a televised address.

He took part later in a news conference in which he vowed to do everything to defeat Russia this year.

"If partners respect all their promises and deadlines, victory will inevitably await us," Zelensky said, referring to military aid that Ukraine's Western partners have said they will deliver.

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Twitter that, a year after the start of the invasion, Ukraine stands and the global coalition in support of Ukraine is stronger than ever with the G7 as its anchor.

"A dictator bent on rebuilding an empire will never erase the people’s love of liberty," Biden said. "Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia. Never."

Even as Zelenskiy spoke to the Vilnius conference, the specter of Russian expansionism was floated in Moscow by former President Dmitry Medvedev, who used the occasion to threaten with "pushing back" NATO member Poland's border.

"It is so important to achieve all the goals of the special military operation. To push back the borders that threaten our country as far as possible, even if they are the borders of Poland," said Medvedev, who now is deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council.

Embed - How Territorial Control Has Changed Hands In Ukraine

On the streets of Kyiv, people's feelings after one year of war were fluctuating between weariness and hope, despair and determination.

"I thought things would get better faster," Lesya Derska, a 24-year-old copywriter told RFE/RL. "There is no stability.... We should start rebuilding the country and the economy quicker. But after a year, I feel stronger because I understand one can endure a lot."

For 30-year-old Maksym Fadeyev, the war meant he lost his food delivery job. But he enrolled as a voluntary cook to feed the needy.

"I remember people coming to Kyiv from the gray (conflict) zone who did not eat for three days," he told RFE/RL. The world's support, he said, "did not prevent thousands of us from dying every month."

"I cannot do anything to end the war," Fadayev said. "The war will last for much longer."

But 49-year-old Serhiy Slobodyan radiated more optimism. He enrolled as a soldier on the second day of the invasion and has fought ever since.

"I believe the war will end in the summer," Serhiy told RFE/RL during a two-day home leave in Kyiv. "We will kick Russians out if we have more ammunition and more weapons."

WATCH: Ceremonies were held on February 24 in different cities in Ukraine and across the world on the first anniversary of Russia's full-scale aggression against its neighbor, Ukraine.

Ceremonies Across The World Mark First Anniversary Of Russian War On Ukraine

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Ceremonies Across The World Mark First Anniversary Of Russian War On Ukraine

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The United States marked the anniversary by announcing an additional $2 billion in "security assistance" for Ukraine.

Poland, meanwhile, announced that it had delivered its first Leopard tanks to Ukraine as Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki traveled to Kyiv on February 24.

Canada on February 24 announced more than $32 million in aid for Ukraine that will include $7.5 million for demining efforts and more than $12 million to counter chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats.

In Photos: When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, it triggered the biggest military conflict in Europe since World War II, upending the lives of millions and bringing widespread devastation that continues today.

The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine: A Year In Pictures

As Russian troops began their invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, 53-year-old teacher Olena Kurylo was injured in a strike on the city of Chuhuyiv.<br />
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"I never thought that such a thing could happen. I never thought that this would truly happen in this lifetime," she said. — 1/32 As Russian troops began their invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, 53-year-old teacher Olena Kurylo was injured in a strike on the city of Chuhuyiv.

"I never thought that such a thing could happen. I never thought that this would truly happen in this lifetime," she said.

Ukrainian soldiers take positions on a bridge inside the city of Kyiv on February 25, 2022. After launching air strikes on cities and military installations and pouring in troops and tanks from three directions, Russian invaders eventually reached the outskirts of the capital. — 2/32 Ukrainian soldiers take positions on a bridge inside the city of Kyiv on February 25, 2022. After launching air strikes on cities and military installations and pouring in troops and tanks from three directions, Russian invaders eventually reached the outskirts of the capital.

3/32 Destroyed Russian armor litters a street in the city of Bucha near Kyiv on March 1, 2022. Russian forces failed to encircle or capture the capital and eventually withdrew from the region.

4/32 Maryna Yatsko runs into a hospital behind her boyfriend, Fedir, carrying her 18-month-old son, Kyrylo, who was hit during the shelling of Mariupol on March 4, 2022. Kyrylo did not survive.

5/32 A man carries a child from the town of Irpin after heavy shelling as Russian troops advanced toward Kyiv on March 6, 2022.

A woman hugs her cat in a subway station in Kyiv on March 8, 2022, where many people were forced to take shelter.<br />
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Scenes reminiscent of World War II shocked the world in early March as Ukrainian civilians moved underground for safety while Russia launched missiles and rockets into several major cities. — 6/32 A woman hugs her cat in a subway station in Kyiv on March 8, 2022, where many people were forced to take shelter.

Scenes reminiscent of World War II shocked the world in early March as Ukrainian civilians moved underground for safety while Russia launched missiles and rockets into several major cities.

Bodies are placed in a mass grave on the outskirts of Mariupol on March 9, 2022.<br />
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A nearly three-month-long siege of the port city resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of inhabitants and the destruction of 90 percent of its structures. — 7/32 Bodies are placed in a mass grave on the outskirts of Mariupol on March 9, 2022.

A nearly three-month-long siege of the port city resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of inhabitants and the destruction of 90 percent of its structures.

8/32 An explosion rips through an apartment building after a Russian tank fired on it in Mariupol on March 11, 2022.

9/32 A 5-month-old orphan, rescued from the besieged city of Sumy, sleeps in his stroller at the Kyiv City Heart Center on March 20, 2022.

10/32 A man rides his bike past flames and smoke rising from a fire following a Russian attack in Kharkiv on March 25, 2022.

A Ukrainian soldier walks by the remains of the Antonov An-225 Mriya transport plane on April 2, 2022.<br />
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The Mriya, which had been the world's largest aircraft, was destroyed by a Russian strike on February 27 during fighting at Antonov airport in Hostomel. The Mriya, which means "dream" or "inspiration," was beloved by aviation enthusiasts around the world. — 11/32 A Ukrainian soldier walks by the remains of the Antonov An-225 Mriya transport plane on April 2, 2022.

The Mriya, which had been the world's largest aircraft, was destroyed by a Russian strike on February 27 during fighting at Antonov airport in Hostomel. The Mriya, which means "dream" or "inspiration," was beloved by aviation enthusiasts around the world.

12/32 Vlad Tanyuk, 6, stands near the grave of his mother, Ira Tanyuk, in the courtyard of his home on the outskirts of Kyiv on April 4, 2022. His mother's death was blamed on starvation and stress from the Russian invasion.

13/32 Yana Bachek is consoled by her partner, Yevhen Vlasenko, and her mother, Lyubov Hubareva, as she mourns over the body of her father, Viktor Hubarev, 79, who was killed by shelling in Kharkiv on April 18, 2022.

Cleanup crews prepare to work at the site of a Russian strike in Kyiv on April 28, 2022, that killed RFE/RL journalist Vira Hyrych, who had recently moved into the apartment building. At least 10 others were reportedly injured in the attack, which struck following a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. — 14/32 Cleanup crews prepare to work at the site of a Russian strike in Kyiv on April 28, 2022, that killed RFE/RL journalist Vira Hyrych, who had recently moved into the apartment building. At least 10 others were reportedly injured in the attack, which struck following a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

15/32 The bodies of 11 Russian soldiers lie on the ground in the village of Vilkhyvka, recently retaken by Ukrainian forces near Kharkiv, on May 9, 2022.

Oksana Balandina, 23, is carried by her husband, Viktor, at a hospital in Lviv on May 13, 2022. Oksana lost both legs and four fingers on her left arm when a shell exploded near her house.<br />
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"There was an explosion. My legs felt like they were falling into emptiness right after that. I was trying to look around and saw that there were no legs anymore -- only bones, flesh, and blood," she recalled. — 16/32 Oksana Balandina, 23, is carried by her husband, Viktor, at a hospital in Lviv on May 13, 2022. Oksana lost both legs and four fingers on her left arm when a shell exploded near her house.

"There was an explosion. My legs felt like they were falling into emptiness right after that. I was trying to look around and saw that there were no legs anymore -- only bones, flesh, and blood," she recalled.

17/32 Olena cries next to the body of her husband, Oleksiy, who died during shelling in Kharkiv on May 26, 2022.

18/32 Family members watch rescuers work as they wait for news about their relatives who are under the rubble of a residential building damaged by a Russian military strike in the town of Chasiv Yar, in the Donetsk region, on July 10, 2022.

A young girl holding her dog waves goodbye to her grandparents from an evacuation train departing Pokrovsk, in the Donetsk region, on August 2, 2022.<br />
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The Ukrainian government issued an order to residents to leave the Donetsk region out of concern that there might not be access to heating, electricity, or even clean water for its residents. — 19/32 A young girl holding her dog waves goodbye to her grandparents from an evacuation train departing Pokrovsk, in the Donetsk region, on August 2, 2022.

The Ukrainian government issued an order to residents to leave the Donetsk region out of concern that there might not be access to heating, electricity, or even clean water for its residents.

20/32 People relax on a beach as smoke and flames rise from a Russian military air base in Ukraine's occupied Crimea region on August 9, 2022.

21/32 At a funeral in Bucha on August 31, 2022, Anastasia Ohrimenko, 26, is comforted by relatives and friends as she mourns the loss of her husband, Yuriy Styhlyuk, a Ukrainian soldier who died in combat.

22/32 A Ukrainian soldier holding a watermelon gives a thumbs up as a rocket launches toward the front line in the Donetsk region on September 3, 2022. The fruit became the symbol of the Ukrainian military's counteroffensive operation to liberate the city of Kherson, which was occupied by Russian forces in March.

23/32 A woman warms her dog in her coat in Kivsharyvka on October 16, 2022. Residents had been living without gas, electricity, or running water.

24/32 Photos capture the moments before and after the impact of a Russian-operated, Iranian-made kamikaze drone in Kyiv on October 17, 2022.

25/32 The body of Ukrainian soldier Vadym Bereghnuy, 22, awaits burial at a cemetery in Kharkiv on October 17, 2022.

26/32 An elderly couple embraces while sitting on a bench in the frontline city of Bakhmut during a lull in shelling on October 27, 2022. The eastern Ukrainian region has been under attack by Russian forces for months.

27/32 Ukrainian soldiers fire artillery at Russian positions near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region on November 20, 2022.

28/32 A woman walks with a flashlight during a power outage in Kyiv on December 14, 2022.

29/32 U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris (left) and then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi react as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy presents lawmakers with a Ukrainian flag autographed by frontline troops in Bakhmut as he addresses a joint session of Congress in Washington on December 21, 2022.

30/32 A Ukrainian man cries after his wife was killed when a Russian rocket destroyed their house in Zaporizhzhya on the night of January 25-26, 2023.

31/32 Children stand next to a crater left by a Russian missile strike in the town of Hlevakha, outside Kyiv, on January 26, 2023.

32/32 A destroyed Russian tank lies in the snow in the town of Svyatohyrsk on February 12, 2023.

In Berlin, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Germany will support Ukraine "as strongly and as long as necessary."

President Emmanuel Macron also reaffirmed France's support for Ukraine.

"People of Ukraine, France stands by your side. To solidarity. To victory. To peace," Macron tweeted.

In a statement, NATO reaffirmed the 30-member alliance's "unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity" in the face of Russia's aggression.

Meanwhile, activists parked a bombed-out Russian tank in front of the Russian Embassy in Berlin as protests were held across Europe to mark the anniversary. The Eiffel Tower, the National Theatre in Warsaw, and the Colosseum in Rome were among the buildings lit up in the blue-yellow colors of Ukraine's flag.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg observed a moment of silence to honor the fallen in Tallinn. A similar observance took place in front of Downing Street in London, and several European leaders published messages condemning the war.

The anniversary came as full-scale war raged in the east, where Moscow's forces have been throwing immense military and human resources against the Ukrainian forces' fierce resistance.

From Above: The War-Torn Landscape Of Ukraine's Bakhmut And Maryinka

1/9 Drone footage captures the devastation in Maryinka in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk Province on February 19. The territory is split between Russian and Ukrainian control. The front line runs through what is left of the town, which is very little.

2/9 A Russian tank fires at Ukrainian positions in Maryinka. The police chief, Artem Schus, describes his town as “completely destroyed.”

An entire row of apartment blocks have been burned out. Many buildings have only the outer walls left standing. — 3/9 An entire row of apartment blocks have been burned out. Many buildings have only the outer walls left standing.

4/9 Another Russian tank fires at Ukrainian positions amid the rubble-strewn landscape.

6/9 Drone footage captured on February 13 shows Bakhmut, another devastated city in eastern Ukraine. It has been the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting of the war.

7/9 This drone image captures the exposed remains of a kitchen in a destroyed apartment building.

Russian forces pressed on with fresh offensive actions in and around Bakhmut, the focal point of the battle for the eastern Donetsk region, as well as Kupyansk, Lyman, Avdiyivka, and Shakhtarsk.

"Over the past day, our defenders repelled about 100 enemy attacks in the indicated directions," the General Staff said.

The military command in the southern region said late on February 24 that Russia had doubled the number of ships on active duty in the Black Sea, bringing the number to eight.

The command said in a Facebook update that this could indicate preparation for a missile or drone strikes.

Russia's navy has regularly launched missiles from its Black Sea Fleet as part of an effort by Moscow to target critical Ukrainian infrastructure and power-generating facilities.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP

RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service

RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service has seen its audience grow significantly since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022 and is among the most cited media outlets in the country. Its bold, in-depth reporting from the front lines has won many accolades and awards. Its comprehensive coverage also includes award-winning reporting by the Donbas.Realities and Crimea.Realities projects and the Schemes investigative unit.
Aleksander Palikot

Aleksander Palikot is a Kyiv-based journalist reporting on war and its impact on society, culture, and politics.

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On Invasion Anniversary, Zelenskiy Says Russia 'Must Lose' In Ukraine As Allies Pledge More Aid

Ceremonies Across The World Mark First Anniversary Of Russian War On Ukraine

The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine: A Year In Pictures

From Above: The War-Torn Landscape Of Ukraine's Bakhmut And Maryinka

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP

RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service

Aleksander Palikot

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