Putin to deliver speech ahead of one year mark of war in Ukraine

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is expected to give a speech on Feb. 21 updating Russia's political and military elite on the state of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine that began nearly one year ago.

Putin is set to lay out his latest plans for the year ahead to both houses of parliament and to Russian military commanders and soldiers.

Despite Russia's failure to reach its goal of taking full control of Ukraine and the huge losses of over 100,000 troops, Russia has recently launched a renewed offensive in eastern Ukraine. Western officials have referred to the new Russian offensive as 'more aspirational than realistic.'

"At such a crucial and very complicated juncture in our development, our lives, everyone is waiting for a message in the hope of hearing an assessment of what is happening, an assessment of the special military operation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state television, Reuters reported.

According to the Kremlin, Putin will provide his analysis of the current international situation as well as his vision of Russia's future development, Reuters also reported.

The speech is scheduled for 11 a.m. Kyiv time.

In a televised announcement that aired just before 5 a.m. Kyiv time on Feb. 24, 2022, Putin said that Russia would conduct "a special military operation" to "demilitarize" Ukraine, effectively declaring a major war on the country.

Immediately after the speech, at around 5 a.m., people in several major Ukrainian cities woke up to the sounds of Russian missiles, shelling, and aircraft, signaling the start of a war that would kill tens of thousands and displace millions over the course of the next year.

One year later: How Russia came to fail in Ukraine, battle after battle

The Kyiv Independent