Ukraine holds strong despite Russia’s military advantage - five-to-one in 2022 — Zaluzhnyi

"We remember every single detail of that dark morning on Feb. 24," Zaluzhnyi wrote on Telegram.

"The sky roared with enemy aircraft, the ground shook under their assault. The foe came at us from all sides, determined to crush our spirit, strip us of our freedom, and bend our nation to its will."

Russia planned to seize Kyiv in just two or three days, while Western allies quietly braced for Ukraine’s rapid collapse. They saw the Russian army as an unstoppable force, one of the strongest in the world.

The numbers were staggering — Russian troops outnumbered Ukraine’s forces five to one, wielding a vastly superior arsenal. But Ukraine did not break. Hour by hour, day by day, the defenders of Kyiv held their ground. What was supposed to be a swift conquest turned into the first great stand of a nation that refused to kneel.

"We are strong. We have shown the world that we can and will fight for our homeland," Zaluzhnyi added.

"We held the line then—we must hold it now. No matter how hard it gets, never will we have to bow our heads in shame."

The war’s third anniversary

• Feb. 24, 2025 – Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi announced that Russia’s irreversible troop losses over three years have reached 250,000 soldiers.
• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to those defending Ukraine and those supporting its fight against Russian aggression, saying he is proud of his country.
• World leaders arrive in Kyiv: top EU officials, European heads of state, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrived in Ukraine’s capital for a major summit focused on continued Western support.