One year after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in what it called a "special military operation", Ukrainians wept at memorials for tens of thousands of friends and family since killed — a toll that is growing inexorably as fighting rages in eastern Ukraine in particular. Although Friday marks the first year anniversary of the war, combat between Russian-backed forces and Ukrainian troops in the east has continued since 2014
First we head to the capital Kyiv, where FRANCE 24’s Mark Owen describes the mood as one of near normality, with shops open and cars in the streets. He spoke with Alexander Rodnyansky, presidential advisor to Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, who said that Russia needs to be “destabilized” to make sure it no longer has “the capabilities to focus on its foreign policy adventures”.
From Kramatorsk, FRANCE 24’s Chief Foreign Editor Rob Parsons spoke to soldiers who told him that they have the capacity to resist the Russian offensive even though they stress they need more weapons from the West, especially armour and tanks.
In Borodyanka, our reporters Luke Shrago, Mélina Huet and Olga Ivashchenko visit a social and psychological aid centre that tries to raise awareness among locals and investigates possible crimes of sexual violence.
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