Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy yesterday promised victory against Russia on the second anniversary of the invasion, as his troops fight on despite a lack of Western aid and recent Russian gains.
“We will win,” he said at a ceremony at Kyiv’s Hostomel airport, which was targeted by Russia in the first days of the all-out assault in 2022.
He spoke alongside the Canadian, Italian and Belgian prime ministers and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who came to Kyiv to mark the date.
Photo: CNA
When Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” at dawn on Feb. 24, 2022, many expected victory within days, but Ukraine fought back, forcing Russian troops into humiliating retreats.
Since then Ukraine has suffered setbacks with the failure of its counteroffensive last year.
The Russian army has built up a position of strength by boosting its defense industry, while Ukraine is short of troops and running low on Western-supplied ammunition for artillery and air defenses.
Photo: AFP
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg urged Ukraine and its allies not to “lose heart,” while Von der Leyen praised Ukraine’s “extraordinary resistance” as she arrived in the Ukrainian capital.
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Force of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky said he was confident of victory “because light always conquers darkness.”
However, the overall picture remains bleak for Ukraine due to the US Congress blocking a vital US$60 billion aid package, on top of delays in promised European deliveries.
Russia is attacking hard in the east after capturing the heavily fortified town of Avdiivka on Saturday last week.
In the east city of Pokrovsk — a gathering point for civilians fleeing fighting — troops sent a clear message to the foreign leaders gathered in Kyiv.
“Give us artillery, drones, counter-battery, shells,” said a 31-year-old Ukrainian soldier, who identified himself as Woodie.
“Our infantry, armed with assault rifles and grenades, were facing artillery, aircraft and tanks,” added a 39-year-old serviceman from Kyiv, who has been fighting for two years.
Russia has kept up its barrage of devastating drone and missile attacks on Ukraine’s cities.
In the latest strikes, Ukrainian authorities said three civilians were killed in Dnipro and Odesa in the night between Friday and yesterday.
In Kyiv, the mood was grim.
“For women of Ukraine, this is our heartache — for our husbands, for our children, for our fathers,” nutritionist Olga Byrko said in Kyiv. “I would really like this to end as quickly as possible.”
Yuriy Pasichnyk, a 38-year-old businessman, said that Ukrainians “have learned to live with it ... now the war is our life.”
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said air raid sirens had sounded 989 times in the capital over two years of war — an average of more than once a day.
“Almost 200 civilians” had been killed in the capital over that time, including six children, he said.
Ukraine estimates the total number of civilians killed at about 50,000.
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