Ukrainians in Kyiv mourn four years of war on the anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion

Описание: (24 Feb 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kyiv , Ukraine - 24 February 2026
1. Wide of Independence Square in Kyiv covered by snow
2. Close up of Independence monument
3. Various of security, people walking on Kyiv's Main Street
4. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Iryna Yakovchenko, 44, resident:
“The world doesn’t hear us at all. We are here alone in our suffering. Our homes are being destroyed every day. Children are dying every day. And no one hears us. They may feel unsettled, maybe even outraged, but no one truly understands us — not really. And it’s… very… I don’t know… Every day we hide from shelling. We go to shelters. We don’t sleep at night, and during the day we still have to go to work. It’s very hard.”
5. Various of people walking on Kyiv's main street
6. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Vladyslav Mostovenko, 34, school teacher:
“In the fourth year of the full-scale war, I feel like I want to make some kind of personal contribution to help our defenders. It just so happened that I have a day off today, and I started thinking about how I could support our military. I decided to make a small poster and, if possible, raise a modest amount of money for a fundraiser for our defenders.
I don’t know if it will work out, but at the very least I want to do something today. Because today is February 24 — this very day when all of us need to act, to reflect, to remember the fallen defenders who gave their lives, and those who are currently protecting the borders of our country.”
7. Various of security
8. Close up of sculpture Archangel Michael in the Independence square
9. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Inna, 43 (didn’t want to disclose her family name for security reason), researcher:
“I am very grateful to everyone who supports us — our defenders, the volunteers. But these are truly very painful, very distressing moments, especially when missiles are flying, when children are killed, when civilians are killed. It is incredibly painful. This has to stop. There has to be an end to this, because it is truly unacceptable in the 21st century — to simply bomb civilians like this.”
10. Various of people giving their respect to the fallen soldiers
11. Wide of square
12. Mid of police barricade
13. Close up of Ukrainian flag
STORYLINE:
Ukrainian residents in Kyiv reflected Tuesday on the past four years since Russia launched its large-scale invasion of Ukraine, attacking the country from multiple directions.

Their lives were forever altered when on Feb. 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special operation," a campaign that many expected to be brief and to end with Kyiv's capitulation.

While Putin did not get the quick and overwhelming victory he had hoped for, the cost has been high on both sides.

And as Europe’s biggest conflict enters its fifth year, there is no sign of any peace deal despite U.S. diplomatic efforts over the past year.

It has caused immense suffering for civilians and harrowing ordeals for soldiers while rewriting the post-Cold War security order.

"The world doesn’t hear us at all. We are here alone in our suffering. Our homes are being destroyed every day. Children are dying every day. And no one hears us. They may feel unsettled, maybe even outraged, but no one truly understands us," said Kyiv resident Iryna Yakovchenko.

European officials are traveling to the Ukrainian capital on Tuesday to show their support for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people, who are fighting on.


He started a small fundraiser to raise money for the Ukrainian military.




AP video by Srdjan Nedeljkovic



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