Russia-Ukraine updates: Putin says war was ‘unleashed’ on Russia

The Russian president delivered his annual Victory Day speech.

More than a year after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, the countries are fighting for control of areas in eastern and southern Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's forces are readying a spring counteroffensive, but Putin appears to be preparing for a long and bloody war.

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US 'working diligently' to get WSJ reporter consular access: White House

The U.S. is continuing to push for consular access for Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter detained in Russia, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a briefing Tuesday, adding that "this is a priority" for President Joe Biden.

Asked how worrying it was the U.S. still didn't have consular access, Jean-Pierre said, "We're concerned."

"We're taking this very seriously," Jean-Pierre said, pointing to Secretary Antony Blinken’s conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov over the weekend. "We're working diligently, very hard to get a counselor to Evan.”

Jean-Pierre declined to say whether the U.S. was close to determining that Gershkovich was being "wrongfully detained" or provide a timeline of when that determination may happen, saying the State Department's process "is currently ongoing." That classification would allow the federal government to use more resources to try to free him.

-ABC News' Ben Gittleson


US announces $2.6B in new security aid for Ukraine

The Pentagon announced $2.6 billion in new security assistance for Ukraine on Tuesday.

The aid will come in two forms: a $500 million presidential drawdown authority package pulling from existing U.S. stockpiles (the 35th such package for Ukraine); and $2.1 billion from Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funds to procure new equipment.

Both the PDA and USAI packages are largely focused on providing munitions for Ukraine, including additional Patriot air-defense missiles and HIMARS ammunition. They also include anti-drone weapons, vehicles, communications equipment, spare parts and more.

-ABC News' Matt Seyler


At least 501 children killed, almost 1,000 injured since February 2022: UNICEF chief

At least 501 children have been killed and almost 1,000 others injured since February 2022, Catherine Russell, executive director of UNICEF, tweeted Monday.

"Another tragic milestone for Ukraine's children and families," she wrote, adding: "This is just the UN verified number. The real figure is likely far higher, and the toll on families affected is unimaginable."


Russia to arrest anyone who supports ICC warrant for Putin

The Russian State Duma will arrest anyone who agrees with the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin accusing him of committing war crimes, the State Duma said on its official Telegram channel Monday.

Russia will imprison those who "call for the implementation of the decision" of the International Criminal Court "on the arrest of Vladimir Putin accused of war crimes," the State Duma of the Russian Federation said.

"The profile committees of the State Duma are preparing amendments to the Federal Law 'On Security,' which will prohibit the activities of the International Criminal Court and international bodies directed against the Russian Federation on our territory and its citizens," Chairman of State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin said.

The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin for war crimes in March, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.

-ABC News' Oleksiy Pshemyskiy


No end in sight as Russia's war in Ukraine enters 2nd year

As tens of thousands of Russian troops lined up along Ukraine’s eastern and northern borders for "military exercises" last February, some international observers warned that Russia was about to do the unthinkable.

U.S. President Joe Biden had declassified intelligence in the weeks prior that showed an attack on Ukraine's sovereignty was imminent. That intel was shared with allies, in an attempt to rally support and to stop the war, but the effort proved unsuccessful. The invasion began on Feb. 24, 2022.

The following four seasons have seen some of the bloodiest fighting on European soil in generations. Tens of thousands of Russian and Ukrainian troops have been killed. And Ukrainian civilians have been terrorized by missiles aimed at energy infrastructure, city centers and apartment buildings.

This month marks both the 9-year anniversary of Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, which he illegally annexed in 2014, and the first anniversary of his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The ends to which he'd go in his mission to capture Ukraine have become clear in the last year.

-ABC News' Kevin Shalvey