{"id":13203,"date":"2026-02-23T19:20:51","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T19:20:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=13203"},"modified":"2026-02-23T19:20:51","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T19:20:51","slug":"we-are-not-losers-we-are-winners-ukraine-reflects-on-four-years-of-war-russia-ukraine-war-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=13203","title":{"rendered":"\u2018We are not losers, we are winners\u2019: Ukraine reflects on four years of war | Russia-Ukraine war News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p class=\"article__subhead\"><em>Despite Ukraine\u2019s land and manpower losses, the anniversary of Russia\u2019s invasion reignites a spirit of resilience.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><button class=\"article-listen-container\" aria-labelledby=\"listen-text listen-duration\" data-testid=\"listen-to-article-button\"><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"article-listen-container__text\" data-testid=\"listen-to-article-text\">Listen to this article<\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u00a0|\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"article-listen-container__duration\">3 mins<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/button><button tabindex=\"0\" class=\"tooltip-accessible_trigger\"><svg class=\"icon icon--info icon--main-grey-dark icon--16 listen-to-article-tooltip__icon\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\"><title>info<\/title><path class=\"icon-main-color\" d=\"M12 0a12 12 0 1 0 0 24 12 12 0 0 0 0-24Zm-.226 3.225a2.039 2.039 0 0 1 2.155 1.924v.193a1.998 1.998 0 0 1-2.155 2.149 2.029 2.029 0 0 1-2.146-2.15 2.039 2.039 0 0 1 1.955-2.122h.193l-.002.006Zm3.227 15.525a.75.75 0 0 1-.752.75H9.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.75h.748V12h-.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.751h3a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.752v6.75h.75a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.749L15 18.75Z\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p><strong>Kyiv, Ukraine \u2013<\/strong> Four years ago, Kyiv\u2019s streets were nearly empty. After Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, restaurants closed down and the roads were deserted. Snipers climbed to the rooftops above government buildings in the city centre.<\/p>\n<p>Now, as the war barrels into a fifth year, shops are crowded, restaurants are full, and rush-hour traffic clogs the roads. The city feels alive.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 4 items<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>When the invasion began, experts and leaders around the world predicted that much of Ukraine could be taken at rapid speed.<\/p>\n<p>Russian President Vladimir Putin himself reportedly said, \u201cIt\u2019ll be over in a few weeks.\u201d American security officials told Newsweek they expected Kyiv to fall within days, with the country\u2019s resistance \u201cneutralised\u201d soon after.<\/p>\n<p>Four years on, Russia has gained about 10 percent of Ukraine\u2019s territory. <span style=\"font-size:22px\">The nearest Russian-held positions now lie more than 300km (185 miles) from Kyiv. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:22px\">Along the way, Moscow has lost ground it once captured, and 1.3 million Russian soldiers have reportedly been killed or seriously wounded.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>According to Russia, NATO expansion and what it describes as Ukraine\u2019s growing militarisation remain the root causes of the war.<\/p>\n<p>But since the onslaught began, two new countries have joined NATO \u2013 Sweden and Finland, which shares a 1,340-km (830-mile) border with Russia. And Ukraine has built one of the largest and most battle-ready militaries in Europe.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile we are fighting, we are not losers, we are winners. It\u2019s important to remember each day for us, when we survive, each day means victory for us, and we should just hold on,\u201d Oleksandr Merezhko, a member of Ukraine\u2019s parliament, told Al Jazeera.<img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-arc-image-770 wp-image-4322422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/INTERACTIVE-WHO-CONTROLS-WHAT-IN-UKRAINE-1771420401.png?quality=80\" alt=\"INTERACTIVE-WHO CONTROLS WHAT IN UKRAINE-1771420401\" data-interactive=\"true\" fetchpriority=\"low\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Still, Ukraine\u2019s battlefield successes have been limited.<\/p>\n<p>The past four years have been marked by a failed counteroffensive and a brief incursion into Russia\u2019s Kursk region that was later lost and, with it, thousands of lives.<\/p>\n<p>Replacing those soldiers is proving difficult, according to Glib Voloskyi, a researcher at Come Back Alive, a Ukrainian foundation supporting the military and veterans.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is the fourth year of war, and the people who were idealistic and who were ready to volunteer to go and fight are running out,\u201d Voloskyi told Al Jazeera. \u201cSo the mobilisation process is getting harder and harder, and Ukraine really needs additional incentives to speed up the process.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To sustain the war effort and support the country\u2019s domestic obligations, Ukraine relies on its European allies.<\/p>\n<p>In January, the European Union approved a 90 billion-euro ($106bn) loan, expected to help fund Ukraine\u2019s military needs through 2027.<\/p>\n<p>With continued financial assistance and arms supplies from Europe, Kyiv appears positioned to sustain its war effort.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t see how this war can end anytime soon,\u201d said Volodymyr Proskura, a Lviv resident. \u201cThere may be a ceasefire at some point, but it could simply lead to another war in a few years.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Despite Ukraine\u2019s land and manpower losses, the anniversary of Russia\u2019s invasion reignites a spirit of resilience. Listen to this article\u00a0|\u00a03 mins info Kyiv, Ukraine \u2013 Four years ago, Kyiv\u2019s streets were nearly empty. After Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, restaurants closed down and the roads were deserted. Snipers climbed to the rooftops above [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13204,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13203","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13203"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13203\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13204"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13203"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13203"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}