Russia-Ukraine war enters fifth year
Newshour
BBC
4.2 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 24 February 2026
⏱️ 47 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky says Vladimir Putin 'has not achieved his goals' and Ukraine will do everything to achieve peace and justice, on the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion. European leaders are in Kyiv and commemorative events are being held across Ukraine. We hear from Ukrainians about how their lives have changed.
Also in the programme: UK’s first baby born from a transplanted womb from a deceased donor; and researchers have discovered how a horse produces its distinctive whinny.
(Picture: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen before a meeting of 'Coalition of the Willing' in Kyiv. Credit: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout)
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:09.0 | Hello and welcome to NewsHour from the BBC World Service. |
| 0:12.8 | We're coming to you live from London. |
| 0:14.6 | I'm Leila Nafu. |
| 0:16.3 | It has become Europe's bloodiest conflict since the Second World War, Russia's war in Ukraine. |
| 0:22.9 | Four years ago today, Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion off Russia's neighbor, |
| 0:28.3 | a bleak anniversary being marked in ceremonies in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev and across the country. |
| 0:40.5 | In his address, President Vladimir Zelenskyy struck a defiant tone, saying President |
| 0:46.1 | Putin had not achieved his goals and hadn't succeeded in breaking the Ukrainian people, |
| 0:51.2 | and he vowed that his country would never yield to Russian aggression. |
| 0:55.0 | Dear Ukrainians, today marks exactly four years since Putin |
| 1:04.0 | Putin started his three-day push to take Kiev, and that, in fact, says a great deal about our resistance, |
| 1:12.6 | about how Ukraine has fought all this time. |
| 1:16.2 | Behind those words stand millions of our people. |
| 1:20.1 | Behind those words stand immense courage, incredibly hard work, endurance, |
| 1:26.7 | and the long path Ukraine has been pursuing since February the 24th. |
| 1:32.0 | Well, some European politicians have travelled to Kiev for the occasion. |
| 1:37.1 | President Macron has been co-hosting a virtual meeting of the so-called Coalition of the Willing, |
| 1:42.8 | countries who've pledged to support Ukraine and deploy |
| 1:45.7 | troops once a peace deal is secured with Russia. Well, President Zelensky insisted today that his |
| 1:51.8 | negotiators would not betray the sacrifices made by Ukraine's people over the past four years. |
| 1:57.8 | But how has life changed for Ukrainians during the course of the conflict? I spoke to |
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