Zelensky Marks Four Years of War, Reveals Bunker and Honors Ukraine’s Defenders

President Volodymyr Zelensky marked the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine with a video address, reflecting on the first days of the war, honoring the victims of Russian aggression, and highlighting the resilience of Ukrainian forces and citizens. The president offered a rare glimpse inside his Bankova Street bunker, where he coordinated early military responses and reached out to world leaders for support and weapons.

Further reading: Four Years After Russia’s Invasion, Ukraine Endures

“Today marks exactly four years since Putin launched his three-day push to take Kyiv. That attempt says a great deal about our resistance, about how Ukraine has endured and fought all this time. Behind these words are millions of our people, immense courage, relentless work, and the long path Ukraine has followed since February 24,” Zelensky said. He walked viewers through the bunker’s corridors and offices, which served as the site of daily military briefings, operational calls, and strategic planning alongside hundreds of personnel.

The president recalled the extraordinary courage of ordinary Ukrainians during those first days. Civilians and soldiers alike stood firm, forming living barriers to stop invading columns, while enlistment centers filled with volunteers. Ukrainian defenders held cities, villages, streets, and yards against overwhelming odds. Zelensky also remembered the first victims in towns such as Bucha, Irpin, Borodianka, and Mariupol, noting attacks on residential buildings, maternity hospitals, and mass graves.

“People do not act like this unless they are forced by extraordinary circumstances. Ukrainians will not forget. Let this footage be seen by all who have no conscience, by those who still extend a hand to Russian aggression and continue to buy Putin’s oil,” he emphasized.

Zelensky highlighted Ukraine’s military evolution, from relying on donated body armor to now possessing advanced systems including Patriots, Iris, NASAMS, F-16 fighter jets, and indigenous long-range weaponry. The country now produces over three million FPV drones annually, shoots down hundreds of Shahed drones nightly, and is capable of large-scale operations such as Kursk and Operation Pavutyna (Spider’s Web). He paid tribute to fallen defenders, thanking every Ukrainian contributing to the nation’s independence - soldiers, volunteers, teachers, students, and families.

Addressing the current challenges, Zelensky noted that Ukraine is facing “the hardest winter in history,” but spring is near. “Putin has not achieved his goals. He has not broken Ukrainians. He has not won this war. We have preserved Ukraine, and we will do everything to secure peace and justice,” he said.

Speaking at a memorial event in Kyiv, Zelensky also called on US President Donald Trump to visit Ukraine, stressing that only by seeing the situation firsthand could leaders understand the true nature of the war and the aggressor’s role. “Only by coming to Ukraine, seeing our life and struggle, feeling our people and the enormity of this pain, can one grasp what this war is really about, who is responsible, and who must be pressured,” Zelensky said.

He characterized Russia as the aggressor and Putin as the architect of both the war and its ongoing obstruction. “This is not a street fight; it is an attack by a sick state on a sovereign one. Putin is this war. He must be held accountable. Russia must be put in its place to achieve real peace,” he added.

In response to previous comments comparing Ukraine and Russia to children in conflict, Zelensky underscored, “We are not children on a playground with Putin. He is a murderer.”

This address highlighted Ukraine’s enduring resistance, the evolution of its military capabilities, and the human cost of the Russian invasion, framing the country’s fight as a struggle not only for territory but for the principles of sovereignty and justice in Europe.