Ukraine marks 1,000 days since Russia unleashed full-scale war

Russia launched a full-scale aggression of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, extending tits assault beyond the occupied Donbas region in a bid to bring the entire country under Moscow’s control.

Thousands of Ukrainian citizens have died, more than six million live as refugees abroad and the population has fallen by a quarter since Vladimir Putin ordered the incursion that began Europe’s biggest conflict since the second world war.

“For 1,000 days, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been confronting the enemy on the front line, which stretches over 1,000 kilometers,” Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Tuesday.

“In the frozen trenches of Donetsk Oblast and in the burning steppes of Kherson Oblast under shells, hail, and anti-aircraft guns, we are fighting for the right to life. For us and our children.”

The milestone comes as Ukraine braces for a difficult and uncertain winter.

The future of US military aid to Ukraine is also in question, as President-elect Trump prepares to take office in January.

Meanwhile, thousands of Russian and North Korean forces have amassed in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, preparing to launch a counteroffensive against Ukrainian troops. The escalating situation in Kursk reportedly prompted US President Joe Biden to grant Ukraine permission to use American long-range weapons on Russian territory.

“Every dark night, even if there are a thousand of them, always ends with dawn,” Syrskyi added.