SAMSUNG Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to his country's citizens on February 24 2022
Early on February 24 2022 the people of Ukraine woke to the sound of explosions Russia had begun what it called special military operations Nearly two hundred thousand Russian troops spilled across the border between the two countries Planes flew overhead Russia launched missiles It attacked major Ukrainian cities including the capital city of Kyiv Air raid sirens blared The Ukrainians wondered what would come next Later that morning President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared on TVs across Ukraine He said that he had called the president of Russia Vladimir Putin Putin had not answered Zelensky spoke to the people of both Russia and Ukraine and told them that the Russian attack was a big step toward war He issued a warning If we'll be attacked by the enemy troops if they try to take our country away from us our freedom our lives the lives of our children we will defend ourselves Not attack but defend ourselves And when you will be attacking us you will see our faces not our backs but our faces
Zelensky celebrates his presidential victory in April 2019 Zelensky had been elected president nearly three years before the attack on April 21 2019. A former comedian and movie star he was not a traditional politician He had run for office because he was tired of government corruption He knew Ukraine was tired of leaders who wanted unquestioning loyalty from Ukraine's people He told voters he would bring a new wave of moral leaders His message spoke to the people and he won his election easily Since Zelensky's swearing in on May 20 2019 some people had started to doubt his leadership But then Russia attacked Suddenly one of the biggest crises of the 21st century had begun And Zelensky rose to the challenge
ABOUT UKRAINE Ukraine is in eastern Europe It is the second largest country there after its neighbor to the east Russia In Ukraine's north is its capital Kyiv In the south is the Black Sea More than forty four million people call Ukraine home The country is full of natural resources It has the second largest natural gas reserves in Europe Large stores of iron coal lithium and uranium are important to manufacturing products around the world such as airplanes engines and batteries Thanks to its rich soil good for growing grains such as wheat and corn Ukraine is known as Europe's breadbasket Many countries have fought to control Ukraine including Poland Czechoslovakia Romania and Russia Some of those countries have come and gone Czechoslovakia for example split into two countries in 1993 the Czech Republic and Slovakia Others such as Romania have gained or lost parts of their own territories Some conflicts go back centuries Ukraine was part of a country called the Soviet Union USSR for seventy years before becoming an independent nation in 1991 after the USSR dissolved Gaining independence doesn't mean interest in Ukraine has waned though Russia the dominant republic of the former USSR has been trying to retake Ukraine ever since Ukraine is not part of the European Union EU or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization NATO But it does receive financial humanitarian and military support from the EU NATO and the United States
