International leaders rally in Kyiv amid renewed missile threat
On the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a missile alert was announced in Kyiv as a MiG-31K fighter jet took off from a Russian airport. Sirens blared during President Volodymyr Zelensky's speech at an international forum.
On Monday, the anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv faced a missile attack threat. Alarm sirens rang as President Zelensky addressed an international forum in the capital.
Missile threat throughout Ukraine! The MiG-31K has taken off! - the Ukrainian Air Force reported.
The missile threat in Kyiv lasted 24 minutes. The air alert remains active in central and eastern Ukraine.
During the alert, leaders from several countries were in Kyiv for the anniversary events related to the invasion. Among them were Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Presidents of Lithuania and Latvia, Gitanas Nausėda and Edgars Rinkēvičs, Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and Estonia's head of government Kristen Michal.
Also present were European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa.
The presence of international leaders in Kyiv expresses solidarity and support for Ukraine in the ongoing conflict. These events show that despite three years since the invasion began, the situation in Ukraine remains tense.
Three years of war in Ukraine
February 24 marks three years since Russian troops attacked Ukraine. Over 6.9 million Ukrainians have been forced to leave their country, and 3.7 million have had to leave their homes and settle in another part of Ukraine because of the ongoing war, according to UNHCR Poland, the UN Refugee Agency in Poland.
Nearly 15,000 civilians have died since the beginning of the war. President Volodymyr Zelensky has declared that he might step down immediately if it would ensure peace for Ukraine or membership in NATO.
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