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


US announces $2 billion more in military aid for Ukraine

The United States announced an additional $2 billion military aid package for Ukraine on Friday, as the Eastern European country marks the one-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.

The new aid package includes more missiles for Ukraine's U.S.-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), additional 155mm artillery ammunition, more Switchblade one-way drones and other military equipment, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

"One year into a war of aggression waged by a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, our allies and partners worldwide stand united and resolute," U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement. "Putin's reckless, illegal war is not just an all-out assault on Ukraine's sovereignty and a historic threat to European security. It is also a direct attack on the system of rules, institutions, and laws that the world built at such great cost after World War II -- a system that rejects aggression and respects the rights of all countries, big and small."

The additional aid is being provided under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) plan, meaning this equipment and artillery have to be made from scratch before being delivered, which will take time. This is different from the other aid packages that come from existing U.S. military stockpiles and get delivered faster.

With the new aid package, the Biden administration has now provided $31.8 billion in assistance to Ukraine since Russia's war began on Feb. 24, 2022.

"Putin thought that Ukraine’s defenses would collapse, that America's resolve would falter, and that the world would look the other way. He was wrong," Lloyd said. "One year later, Ukraine's brave defenders have not wavered, and neither has our commitment to support them for as long as it takes. Despite the Kremlin's campaign of cruelty, the people of Ukraine have shown stunning bravery, skill, and fortitude. Today and every day, we stand by the courageous Ukrainians fighting to defend their country, and we mourn with those who have lost their loved ones in Moscow's monstrous and unnecessary war."

"Difficult times may lie ahead, but let us remain clear-eyed about what is at stake in Ukraine," he added. "And let us remain united in purpose and in action -- and steadfast in our commitment to ensure that a world of rules and rights is not replaced by one of tyranny and turmoil."

-ABC News' Luis Martinez