Volodymyr Zelensky today mocked Vladimir Putin over his failure to subjugate Ukraine on the fourth anniversary of the start of the war.
It came amid yet more death and violence overnight, as the Ukrainian leader showed a new glimpse of the underground bunker where he has hidden from Russian missiles.
In a new video, Zelensky taunted the Russian despot, and his misjudged belief he would grab Zelensky’s capital city in 72 hours with almost no resistance.
‘Today marks exactly four years since Putin promised to seize Kyiv in three days,’ he said, goading the Kremlin leader.
‘And this speaks volumes about our resistance, about how Ukraine has been fighting all this time.
‘Behind these words are millions of our people, great courage, hard work, perseverance, and a long journey that Ukraine has been making since February 24, [2022].
‘Looking back at the beginning of the invasion and looking at today, we have every right to say: we defended our independence, we did not lose our statehood, Putin did not achieve his goals.
‘He did not break the Ukrainians, he did not win this war.
He showed a ‘small room in the bunker on Bankova’ from which he spoke to world leaders
The bunker where Ukrainian leaders gathered to stay safe from Russian attacks
A conference room seen in the video shared by Ukraine today
‘We preserved Ukraine, and we will do everything to achieve peace and justice. Glory to Ukraine!’
In footage Zelensky is seen walking in the underground complex used earlier in the war to keep him and the Ukrainian leadership safe from Putin’s bid to wipe them out.
‘We had never shown this facility before,’ he said.
‘At the beginning of the war there were hundreds of people here. I worked here, then went upstairs to address you.
‘Our team was here, the government, daily military meetings, calls, searching for solutions.’
He showed a ‘small room in the bunker on Bankova’ where ‘I had my first conversations with world leaders at the beginning of the war.
‘Here I spoke with President [Joe] Biden. It was here that I heard: ‘Volodymyr, there is a threat, you must urgently leave Ukraine. We are ready to help with this.’
‘And here I replied that I needed weapons, not a ride.’
In footage Zelensky is seen walking in the underground complex used earlier in the war to keep him and the Ukrainian leadership safe
In the new video, Zelensky taunted Putin and said ‘he did not break the Ukrainians’
As the fourth anniversary dawned, Moscow was hit overnight by a mysterious ‘suicide bombing’ at Savelyevsky railway station in which senior police lieutenant Denis Bratuschenko, 34, was killed.
The alleged bomber also perished after approaching a police patrol car when there was an explosion, according to Russian law enforcement.
The motive behind the explosion was under investigation.
Ukraine meanwhile faced attacks on police in Dnipro and Mykolaiv.
This followed a bombing on police in Lviv in which a policewoman was killed and dozens were wounded.
The Dnipro blast caused extensive damage but no casualties. In Mykolaiv, seven police officers were injured.
‘The enemy is deliberately trying to kill Ukrainian police officers who stand guard every day,’ said a police chief.
The aftermath of a bombing on police in Lviv in which a policewoman was killed and dozens were wounded
People stand during a minute of silence in Kyiv to mark the fourth anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion
A Russian drone attack on Zaporizhzhia left one dead and six injured
In Zaporizhzhia, a drone strike wounded six people including a child.
Russia’s main Black Sea airport – in Sochi – was hit with hundreds of flight delays amid disruptions caused by Ukrainian military drones.
Ukraine also targeted Russian positions at military airfields in occupied Crimea.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa arrived in Kyiv early today.
‘We are in Kyiv for the tenth time since the beginning of the war,’ said von der Leyen.
‘To confirm that Europe is steadfastly supporting Ukraine financially, militarily, and throughout this harsh winter.’
This comes as the head of the British Army General Sir Roly Walker said Russia was building bigger and more lethal armed forces to prepare for a wider war.
Zelensky taunted Putin in a video released on the fourth anniversary of the war in Ukraine
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa arrived in Kyiv early today
The Chief of the General Staff said he could see no evidence of the Kremlin scaling back its ambitions.
But in a call to arms, Sir Roly said he believed that, when the time comes, Britain would emerge victorious and the future ‘will be on our terms, and our terms alone’.
Writing for the Daily Mail on the fourth anniversary of the war, Sir Roly said: ‘We, and the West generally, are in the crosshairs of Russia. It’s us on their terms or no deal. This is not going away, however the war in Ukraine ends.
‘Unless something changes, I think we are on a collision course with a Russia that is on a war footing, that is replenishing its lost equipment and rearming itself to be a bigger and more lethal set of armed forces.’
Armed Forces minister Al Carns said: ‘I never thought I would see North Korean troops fighting on the border of Europe in my lifetime – which should serve as a warning signal to us all.’
Today, Sir Keir Starmer will announce additional support for Ukraine as he convenes a meeting of allies that make up the Coalition of the Willing.
Meanwhile, in Kyiv, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will condemn the ‘despicable’ reconditioning of civilians in Russian-held areas.
