President Volodymyr Zelensky released a video address on Feb. 24 marking four years since Russia's full-scale invasion, revealing footage of the bunker where he coordinated Ukraine's defense and appealed to world leaders for weapons in the war's first days.
The address shows Ukraine's endurance and transformation since Feb. 24, 2022, as Kyiv reflects on how it withstood Russia's initial assault in a war that has now reshaped European security.
The Ukrainian president demonstrated corridors and offices inside the bunker on Bankova Street in Kyiv, where he and hundreds of officials worked around the clock.
"Here I spoke with President Biden, and it was right here that I heard: Volodymyr, there is a threat. You need to leave Ukraine urgently," he said, recalling the early hours of the invasion.
"And here I replied that I need ammunition, not a ride."
"I worked here, then went upstairs to address you, the people," Zelensky said. "Here was our team, the government, daily coordination with the military, phone calls, the search for solutions – everything necessary for Ukraine to endure."
Russia launched its full-scale invasion expecting a rapid advance toward Kyiv that would topple Ukraine's government within days. Ukrainian forces halted Russian troops on the capital's outskirts, turning what Moscow appeared to view as a short campaign into a prolonged war.
"Today marks exactly four years since Putin started his three-day push to take Kyiv," Zelensky said, referring to early Russian propaganda narratives that the capital would fall within days.
Zelensky described a shift in Ukraine's war effort, from holding the line to striking back. Footage of burning Russian military sites, once rare, now appears "almost daily," he said.
He also pointed to the evolution of Ukraine's military capabilities, from relying on foreign-supplied body armor to deploying advanced systems such as Patriot, IRIS-T, NASAMS, and F-16s, alongside domestically produced long-range weapons.
"We ourselves produce more than three million FPV drones a year," he said.
Zelensky acknowledged that Ukraine is enduring "the harshest winter in history" due to continued Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, but noted that "spring is less than a week away."
"Putin has not achieved his goals. He has not broken the Ukrainians. He has not won this war," he said. "We have preserved Ukraine, and we will do everything to achieve peace and ensure justice."
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