Zelensky shows his bunker where he worked at start of war
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has shown the room in a bunker on Bankova Street where the first conversations with foreign leaders took place and where he worked with government officials and members of parliament at the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The head of state announced this in his address on the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion, Ukrinform reports.
"This office – this small room in the bunker on Bankova Street – this is where I held my first conversations with world leaders at the start of the war. Here I spoke with President Biden, and it was right here that I heard: Volodymyr, there is a threat. You need to leave Ukraine urgently. We are ready to help with that. And here I replied that I need ammunition, not a ride. And not because we are all fearless or made of steel – we are all human beings, and on that day, every one of us, all Ukrainians, felt fear and pain; many were in shock, and many did not know what to say. But on some invisible level, all of us knew that we have no other Ukraine, that this is our home, and all of us understood what had to be done," he said.
Zelensky noted that defending Ukraine was the choice of millions of people.
"Our people did not raise a white flag – they defended the blue and yellow one. And the occupiers, who thought they would be met here with crowds waving flowers, saw lines at the recruitment centers instead. Our people chose resistance. And our warriors stood firm, and civilians defended cities and villages, streets and yards. Ordinary people, absolutely, forming living walls, stopped columns of military vehicles, and all together showed lost Russia the only right road," he said.
He stressed that it was clear from the beginning that every tomorrow had to be won. According to him, everyone worked to deliver weapons and medicines and to bring food to cities blockaded by the enemy.
"Ukraine had to stand – the state had to stand no matter what. And despite everything, our Ukraine had to keep functioning. Much was done here; we had never shown this facility before – it’s empty now, of course, but at the beginning of the war, there were hundreds of people here. I worked here, then went upstairs to address you, the people. Here was our team, the government, daily coordination with the military, phone calls, the search for solutions – everything necessary for Ukraine to endure," Zelensky said.
He stressed that from the very beginning it was necessary to claw out belief in Ukraine and secure aid packages, sanctions against Russia, and weapons deliveries.
"And this was the key message of our appeals to European countries, to the U.S. Congress, to most parliaments around the world – and to the people, of course. To ordinary people – to millions across the globe – be with us, be with Ukraine, believe in us, stand with Ukraine, be brave like Ukraine!" he said.
Zelensky added that these calls worked because Ukrainians fought in a way that took people's breath away. This inspired others, and soon the world saw that sea of blue and yellow — thousands of people with Ukrainian flags in squares across Europe and the world.
"And so – gradually, with difficulty, step by step, brick by brick – Ukraine built the support that allowed us to hold out: when we made it through the first day of the war. The longest day of our lives. Then another. And another. Then a week. Two weeks. And then – a month. And we saw spring. We won it back then – when it seemed that this February would never end, we gained our first spring amid a great war. It was a turning point, and for the first time, a thought flashed through everyone's mind: we can do this. Ukraine can do this," he said.
Four years ago, on February 24, 2022, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. At around 03:40, the first column of Russian tanks entered the Luhansk region, while Ukrainians in many cities woke up to the strikes of the first enemy missiles.
Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine