President Zelensky held a lengthy news conference in Kyiv on the anniversary of Russia's invasion
During the briefing, Zelensky revealed he'd want China to be part of any peace process
Victory "will inevitably await us" if allies "respect their promises and deadlines", Zelensky said
Meanwhile, Poland says it has delivered four Leopard tanks - and is prepared to quickly deliver more
Ukraine is hoping its allies will send dozens of the German-made tanks, and that this could prove a game-changer on the battlefield
Russia still occupies one-fifth of Ukrainian territory and appears to be re-starting major offensives across the vast frontline
The US has meanwhile announced more sanctions against Russia and another $2bn worth of weaponry for Ukraine
Image source, ReutersA minute's silence for Ukraine has started in the UK as a mark of respect and support for the country after a year of full-scale war.
We'll be back with more once it's over.
In about 10 minutes, the UK will hold a minute's silence to mark the year anniversary of Russia invading Ukraine.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will lead the tribute, starting at 11:00 GMT.
Tom Grundy
Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in London
Image source, PA MediaHere at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in London, 461 paper angels hang from the ceiling. Each one represents a child that has died during the war.
The Ukraine Welcome Centre is also based here. It’s been the main point of contact over the past year for refugees fleeing Ukraine and settling in the UK.
Inter-faith leaders are offering their prayers during this ‘Service for peace’. Also in attendance is Boris Johnson, who President Zelensky called “a true friend of Ukraine”. He, alongside London Mayor Sadiq Khan, have lit a candle inside the Cathedral.
Later the congregation will pause for a minute of silence, hoping for better days over the next 12 months.
Image source, PA Media
Image source, PA Media
Image source, PA MediaKing Charles III welcomed President Zelensky to Buckingham Palace earlier this month
King Charles III has commended Ukraine's "remarkable courage and resilience" on the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion.
The monarch, who met President Zelensky at Buckingham Palace earlier this month, said the people of Ukraine "have suffered unimaginably from an unprovoked full-scale attack on their nation".
He added that the support from the UK and its allies was "heartening" to see as the world "watched in horror at all the unnecessary suffering inflicted upon Ukrainians" over the past year.
Quote MessageTherefore, I can only hope the outpouring of solidarity from across the globe may bring not only practical aid, but also strength from the knowledge that, together, we stand united."
King Charles III
Abdujalil Abdurasulov
Reporting from Kyiv
A map, shown to me by Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine's national security and defence council, reveals the route Russian troops planned to take to attack Kyiv at the beginning of the war.
Strikingly, it dates back to 1989 and shows the ground conditions on the planned route as they were in 1985.
What could possibly go wrong in February 2022, almost 40 years later, as Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine?
The map was seized last year by the Ukrainian military, from a Russian commander who was part of the Pskov airborne troops.
Image source, ReutersGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz says Russian President Vladimir Putin will not achieve his aims in Ukraine, a year after Moscow's troops invaded the country.
Quote MessageThe earlier the Russian president realises that he will not reach his imperialistic goal, the bigger the chance that the war will end soon. Putin has it in his hands. He can end this war."
Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor
Scholz made the remarks in a video message where he also reiterated his country's support for Ukraine for "as long as necessary."
He added that the German government would do everything possible "to ensure that there is no escalation of the war between Russia and Nato".
Take a look at these images, released by the Getty photo agency, which show locations in Ukraine in the immediate aftermath of the Russian attacks - and how they look now:
Image source, Getty ImagesTOP: Apartment complex in Kyiv damaged by a Russian attack on 18 March, 2022 BOTTOM: The same repaired block in Kyiv on 11 February, 2023
Image source, Getty ImagesTOP: People taking shelter in the Dorohozhychi subway station in Kyiv on 2 March, 2022 BOTTOM: People walk in the Dorohozhychi subway station in Kyiv on 9 February, 2023
Image source, Getty ImagesTOP: Vokzal'na Street in Bucha 6 April, 2022 BOTTOM: Vokzal'na Street in Bucha 1 February, 2023
Image source, ReutersDmitry Medvedev: "Victory will be achieved...that day will come"
Russia's former president, Dmitry Medvedev has suggested that his country's military should push Ukrainian forces back all the way to the Polish border.
Mr Medvedev is currently deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, and made his comments in a social media post to mark the anniversary of Russia's invasion.
He said that victory would be achieved, but that it was important to achieve "all the goals" of what he referred to as Russia's "special military operation."
He added this meant pushing back the threats against Russia, even to the borders of Poland.
You can see his Telegram post here., external
Marta Shokalo
Editor, BBC Ukrainian Service
I used to be based in Kyiv alongside most of our team, but since the war started most of us have left Ukraine.
Like most of the women with children on my team, I’m now living in Poland. When martial law was imposed, Ukrainian men of fighting age were forbidden from leaving the country.
We haven’t stopped working since the first hours of the invasion. Our work is has given us a sense of purpose and the energy to keep going.
In the past year we have become like a family. A typical Ukrainian family, separated by war. We are all traumatised in so many different ways, but we still laugh a lot together. We share memes in work chats and joke about our strange lives.
It feels as though we are living in a movie. And, like a movie, we hope it will come to an end.
We want to return to our Kyiv office and raise a glass together.
I’m back in Kyiv for the anniversary and will be answering your questions at 12:00 GMT.
You can send in yours by filling in the form below. Ask me anything!
In some cases a selection of your comments and questions will be published, displaying your name and location as you provide it unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published.
Poland will be sending the first Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine today, Bloomberg News is reporting.
Polish Premier Mateusz Morawiecki is reportedly going to make the announcement today during his visit to Kyiv on the first anniversary of the war.
Image source, .
Jonathan Beale
Defence correspondent
We're coming to another one of your questions now and it's about weaponry being supplied to Ukraine. Colin Hanna asks if it is sensible to publicise what weapons are being given and in what quantity? Surely, he asks, Russia having this information is extremely helpful to them?
Not all those countries who have supplied weapons and ammunition to Ukraine have made public what they’ve delivered. That might have initially reflected Western fears of escalation with Russia. But less so now – with the ramping up of deliveries of increasingly sophisticated weapons to Kyiv, publicising it sends a clear message of support to Ukraine.
For Russia it’s proof there’s a real cost to its invasion – even if the West says it is not directly involved in the war. Russia may have a clearer idea of what to expect on the battlefield as a result. But it still doesn’t know when, where or how.
Russia’s largely been unable to target Western supply lines. Nor does it always know numbers – some nations providing tanks haven’t said how many.
For the US and UK, who’ve been most public about arms deliveries, there’s clearly the goal of encouraging others to do the same. Making a noise about it may be better than keeping quiet – even if Russia has a better idea of what’s coming next. It’s not just a strategic decision.
The announcement of more Western weapons being delivered will also have a psychological impact for those troops fighting this war – positive for Ukrainians, less so for a Russian soldier.
Laura Gozzi
Live reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesOn the morning of Thursday 24 February 2022, Kyiv residents awoke to the sound of blasts and air sirens. The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine had begun. Thousands got into their cars and attempted to flee the capital.
Image source, Getty ImagesPresident Volodymyr Zelensky spoke to the nation in the early hours of the morning. He said Vladimir Putin wanted “to destroy our country, and everything we have been building”, adding: “But we know the strength of the Ukrainian people.” This is the last time Zelensky was seen wearing a suit.
Image source, Getty ImagesWithin hours of Russia launching the invasion, Ukrainian border guards announced that troops had crossed into the country from all directions. The bloodied face of 52-year-old teacher and Chuhuiv resident Olena Kurylo was one of the first photos showing a victim of the war.
Image source, Getty ImagesA young couple embraces in the Kyiv metro. Early on 24 February, President Zelensky introduced martial law, banning all Ukrainian men aged between 18 to 60 from leaving the country
Image source, Getty ImagesA mass exodus into neighbouring countries like Poland began from the very first day. The United Nations says 8.1m people have been displaced from Ukraine into Europe – around 19% of the total Ukrainian population. Roughly 18.6m people initially left the country, but 10.3m have since returned
Image source, Getty ImagesAnti-war protesters took the streets of Moscow in the evening. In the first week after the Russian invasion, over 6,000 protesters were arrested across Russia as the government cracked down on anti-war dissent
Image source, ReutersThe Ukrainian defence minister, Oleksiy Reznikov, says the country's forces are making plans to push Russian troops out of the country a year after Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
"A year ago, it was difficult for us to get serious weapons," he tells troops who've gathered to mark the milestone.
"Today, civilised countries see that you are the shield of Europe in the east," Reznikov goes on, according to the AFP news agency.
Quote MessageThere will be a counteroffensive. We are working hard to prepare and secure it."
Alice Cuddy, reporting from Kyiv
A spokesman for Ukraine’s air forces has said this morning that Russia may be preparing a “surprise” and to stay alert in the coming days.
There have been warnings in Ukraine this week that Moscow was planning a strike to mark the anniversary of its invasion.
But speaking on national TV today, spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said Russia could see that Ukraine had been preparing for an attack and may instead strike on another, more unexpected day.
He urged people to listen carefully for air raid alerts and stay safe.
On the streets in Kyiv, the threat of a possible anniversary strike has been met with mixed responses. Some were defiant, while others were clearly anxious.
Sarah Rainsford
Eastern Europe correspondent
Throughout our coverage today, our correspondents will be answering your questions on the Ukraine war. Our next one focuses on Russia, and asks what ordinary people in the country make of the war 12 months on.
It’s hard to be sure in a country that’s made it a crime to call the war a war and sends people to prison for criticising the invasion.
The opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza has been in custody since April for doing just that, accused of treason.
Others have been sentenced for spreading ‘fakes’, so it’s understandable that many who oppose this war are scared to protest or even comment.
Huge numbers have left the country and now speak-out there instead. Inside Russia, state propaganda is very powerful. It’s been talking of ‘neo-Nazi’ Ukrainians and a ‘fascist’ threat for years: not an ‘alternative reality’, just plain lies. Still, people could seek out accurate information if they wanted to.
But Putin’s invasion, his talk of Western hostility and Russian greatness, seem to have genuine appeal, even now. He’s always tapped into something deep within many Russians, who feel their loss of empire keenly and look for someone to blame.
Image source, ReutersPoland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has travelled to Kyiv where he laid a wreath at the memorial wall to the war’s victims, the state news agency PAP has reported.
The fact Moraziecki is visiting Kyiv on the day of the anniversary - when many predicted Russian attacks on Ukraine - shows how close Poland and Ukraine have grown over the last year.
Poland has long been lobbying other Western countries to send more weapons to Ukraine, and it has also taken in millions of Ukrainian refugees.
Earlier, Krzysztof Sobolewski, the secretary general of Poland’s governing Law and Justice (PiS) party, told Polish TV that Morawiecki would probably attend a meeting of the Ukrainian Supreme Council today.
Alice Cuddy, reporting from Kyiv
Our correspondents who have been reporting from Ukraine have been answering questions that you've been sending us all week.
And at 12:00 GMT, Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse and head of the BBC's Ukrainian service Marta Shokalo will join me here in Kyiv to answer some questions live - we look forward to hearing from you.
Here is how you can get in touch:
In some cases a selection of your comments and questions will be published, displaying your name and location as you provide it unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published.
On 24 February 2022, Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine, hoping to take over the country in a matter of days.
Here is what has happened since.
Video by Ian Casey
Quentin Sommerville
You’ve been embedded with Ukrainian units on the frontlines throughout this war. How difficult is it to report in those circumstances? And how do you decide what makes it into your stories that the world gets to read and watch?To get to the very front where actual combat is happening is challenging in any war. No-one wants a journalist killed on their frontline.
But it’s been especially challenging in Ukraine where there was active resistance to showing you the sharp end, if you like.
But over time I built relationships with people who could make that happen and with commanders on the ground.
You stay in touch with them and trust is built and they know that you’re not going to hold them back in the midst of battle, so you get to where the action is happening.
We have had the time to spend long periods with soldiers, national guardsmen and territorial defence units and that has allowed us to show the reality of the defence of Ukraine.
Obviously there are the bang bang moments where rockets and missiles land close, or tank fire whistles overhead, but I’ve always been as interested in the people fighting, surviving the war - the characters in this great awful event - and how they respond and adapt.
It’s fascinating to see courage and determination up close, whether that’s in the eyes or hearts of a 22-year-old soldier in a trench or a 70-year-old pensioner steadfastly refusing to leave their home.
Alice Cuddy, reporting from Kyiv
Olha Chechiotkina didn’t sleep well last night, fearing a Russian attack today.
But, she says, a year into the war this is nothing new.
“Every night is like this. Every morning I wake up and worry that something will happen,” she tells me.
The 61-year-old is from Lysychansk in the east of the country and fled to the capital Kyiv in search of safety last year. She doesn’t know if her home is still standing.
Asked about what the past year has been like, she says: “Not a good one for sure. But my daughter and granddaughter are with me and we are still alive so that’s good.”