A Year Of War In Ukraine

On this day one year ago, Russian shells and missiles hit cities and regions across Ukraine — changing the whole world.

This is an excerpt from Incoming, BuzzFeed News’ morning newsletter dedicated to making sense of this chaotic world we live in. Join the club.

365 days of war

A boy in a green jacket climbs a destroyed Russian tank on display in a city center in downtown Kyiv
  • Grief and defiance in Kyiv on the anniversary of war, via the Guardian. “That we will win is certain,” one Kyiv resident said. “We know why we are fighting. The Russians soldiers don’t even understand where they are.”
  • A timeline of the last year since Russia invaded Ukraine, via AP. "Moscow holds nearly a fifth of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, a large part of the industrial Donbas region in the east and broad areas in the south, including Europe’s largest nuclear power station. But the Russian military has struggled to regroup following a year of heavy casualties and humiliating setbacks," AP reports.
    • Looking ahead, Russia and Ukraine have acknowledged that a peace settlement seems far off.
  • What Ukrainians messaged each other in the first hours of war, via the New York Times. "Dad, how are you?" "How will all this end?" "Hold on. I am honored to have such brother as you."

IMAGE OF THE DAY

Juliana, age 14 from Dnipro Oblast attends an Ukrainian online class at the Green Hotel on February 23, 2023 in Jerzmanowice, Poland.

Our headlines from one year ago

This is what it was like in Ukraine when Russia's attack changed everything. The blasts shook the walls, illuminated my room even through thick curtains, and jolted me up. A moment later, I was in the hallway, where two journalists came stumbling out of their rooms in their underwear, asking me if we should all make a dash for the bomb shelter.

Russian troops have entered Kyiv, putting Ukraine's democratically elected government in the crosshairs. Amid rumors in Russian media that he had fled the country, President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video to social media on Friday evening showing him and his team outside Kyiv's presidential administration building. "We are here. We are in Kyiv. We are defending Ukraine," he said.

Stories of Ukrainian heroisim are emerging and giving the country hope. A soldier who died blowing up a bridge. Civilians blocking Russian tanks. President Zelensky’s defiant videos. The Ghost of Kyiv. Whether they’re well documented or urban legend, these stories are boosting Ukraine’s resistance.

Still reading, eh? Seems like you might want to get this in your inbox. No pressure though. Just some food for thought.

Topics in this article

Skip to footer