The Ukraine war: Four years and countingPeople light candles at a makeshift memorial for fallen Ukrainian defenders to mark the fourth anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at the Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine, February 24, 2026. Four years and between 200,000 and 400,000 dead Russian soldiers later (estimates vary), the Russian army holds about 20% of Ukraine's territory. Like the machine guns and long-range artillery of World War I, the drones force everybody to take shelter below ground level. Neither Ukraine nor Russia is that point yet, and it is not even clear that they will reach that point in the next year. However, Mr Trump's threat of war on Iran is driving oil prices back up, which helps the faltering Russian economy.

Source: Bangkok Post February 26, 2026 01:56 UTC