The Eve of Invasion: What Was Known About Russia's Attack and Ukraine's Early Warnings.
The Full-Scale Invasion Begins
According to TSN.ua: An interview with Serhiy Kyslytsya examines the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, which commenced on the night of February 23-24, 2022. The situation was uniquely tense as Russia itself held the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council at that precise moment. By 10 p.m. on February 24, 2022, reports of strikes on Ukraine confirmed the long-feared aggression from its neighbor. Serhiy Kyslytsya, then Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, recalled that
“on the night the war started, we were being assured: there will be no attack.”
This crisis was compounded by intelligence from the United States and the United Kingdom, which likely knew of invasion preparations as early as September or October 2021. This timeline suggests the international community possessed information about the looming threat, yet the collective response proved insufficient. Kyslytsya highlights the profound contradiction, stating it was a
“dramatic moment: an aggressor country presides over the Security Council and simultaneously declares an attack.”The war fundamentally altered European security and triggered a global geopolitical realignment.
Key Dates and Figures
At the time of the invasion, Kyrylo Budanov was the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine. The fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion will be marked on February 24, 2026, a significant milestone in the nation's history. Serhiy Kyslytsya also expressed his unwavering resolve, noting:
“I could not imagine that we would ever surrender.”These words reflect the resilience and determination of the Ukrainian people in the face of military aggression.
The onset of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine was a pivotal moment not only for the Ukrainian state but for international politics as a whole. Commemorating the anniversaries of this conflict serves as a crucial reminder of the lessons that must inform future efforts to prevent similar acts of aggression. The global response to the known threats underscores the urgent need for more proactive and coordinated international diplomacy to counter such belligerence.
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