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 announces fresh sanctions targeting Russia

The United States announced Friday a series of fresh sanctions against those who are supporting Russia's war in Ukraine.

The White House said the new sanctions target more than 200 people and companies in Russia and other countries around the world. The Biden administration will also target a dozen Russian financial institutions as well as Russian officials and will restrict U.S. companies from exporting products to around 90 companies in Russia and other countries, including China, according to the White House.

The products that will be limited, such as semiconductor chips, are being used for "sanction evasion and backfill activities in support of Russia's defense sector," the White House said.

The U.S. will also increase tariffs on Russian metals, minerals and chemicals, which will eventually cost Moscow some $2.8 billion, according to the White House.

"These sanctions, export controls, and tariffs are part of our ongoing efforts to impose strong additional economic costs on Russia," the White House said. "We will continue to work with our allies and partners to use all economic tools available to us to disrupt Russia’s ability to wage its war and degrade its economy over time."

The announcement came on the one-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

-ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett


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


Ukraine braces for Russian missile strikes on 1-year anniversary of war

There was a somber mood over Kyiv on Friday morning as the country marks the one-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion while bracing for a potential barrage of missile strikes.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, along with the country's top general and the defense minister, took part in a military ceremony in Sofia Square in the historical center of the capital city. Zelenskyy and Poland's president also visited a memorial wall for fallen Ukrainian soldiers.

Ukrainians are anticipating Russian missile strikes to mark the anniversary, amid warnings from the Ukrainian Air Force that there is a high risk of them. But so far it has been quiet, with no major strikes beyond routine shelling in northern and eastern Ukraine.

-ABC News' Patrick Reevell


Key events in the year since Russia invaded Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Feb. 21, 2022, that he had recognized two Russian-backed separatist areas in eastern Ukraine, Donetsk and Luhansk, as independent states.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy followed the announcement by saying that Ukraine had cut diplomatic ties with Russia. Putin then gave a speech on Feb. 24, 2022, announcing he would launch a "special military operation" in Ukraine.

Minutes after the announcement, explosions could be heard in Kyiv. What followed was a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with thousands of troops crossing the country's borders. Here are the key events that occurred in the year since then.

-ABC News' Nadine El-Bawab


Putin admits Russian military losses

Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged Russian military losses from its ongoing invasion of Ukraine during his annual meeting with the federal security service Tuesday.

"Unfortunately, comrade officers, we know that there are losses in our ranks," Putin said.

Putin called on the FSB to provide "support" to the families of soldiers who have died in the war.

"We will always remember their heroism and bravery," he added.

Putin did not say how many soldiers have died in the war and the Russian Ministry of Defense hasn't disclosed an exact number of losses since September 2022 when Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said just shy of 6,000 troops had died.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other State Department officials said Russia has likely suffered 200,000 injured or dead soldiers since the start of the war.

Putin also called on the FSB to make sure its border guard "undertake special efforts to control the Russian state border with Ukraine."

A "special group" is currently deployed at the Russia-Ukraine border, made up of border agencies, the FSB air arm, the Russian Armed Forces and the Russian National Guard, according to Putin.

"Your mission is to prevent any incursions by sabotage groups and stop any attempts to smuggle weapons and ammunition into Russia," Putin told the FSB board.

-ABC News' Tanya Stukalova and Anastasia Bagaeva