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Its people find spiritual strength in commemorating Feb. 24, the date of Russia’s full-scale invasion four years ago. One new addition: A day of prayer.

| Reuters Ukrainians in the Luhansk region wait inside a church for volunteers to distribute humanitarian aid, Feb. 4, 2026. Loading…

Feb. 09, 2026, 3:34 p.m. ET

To the rest of the world, Ukrainians might have little reason to commemorate the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion on Feb. 24. Their country is enduring one of its worst winters. Heat and electricity are scarce from missile attacks on energy facilities. An estimated 200,000 Ukrainian soldiers have gone AWOL. And last year was the worst year yet for civilians killed in the war.

“For Ukraine, each day is a day of blood, death, tears and struggle,” Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, told OSV News.

Yet, with a gumption and ingenuity that they have also mustered to keep a Russian military from making sizable advances, Ukrainians will mark the day with various expressions of gratitude, unity, and perhaps solemn celebration.

One event will be the first nationwide “day of prayer.”  One reason for the event: Church attendance is up, especially as many places of worship have become “humanitarian hubs” to help the needy.

“People are searching for meaning. I see it every day,” said Major Archbishop Shevchuk.

“There are moments when anyone would ask, ‘Where is God? Have we been forgotten?’ But our people are finding answers here – in community, prayer, perseverance,” he said.

Around the world, Ukrainians abroad will mark the anniversary with vigils and rallies, as they have in recent years. Some military experts suggest the world also note how Ukraine has become a military marvel in designing its own drones and cruise missiles.

The U.N. Security Council will hold a special session that day to discuss the impact of the war on Ukrainians. The European Parliament plans to approve a €90 billion ($107 billion) loan to Kyiv from European Union member states on Feb. 24. Top EU officials will be in Ukraine for the anniversary.

“Moscow is not invincible. On the battlefield, its army is at a standstill. At home, its economy is in crisis,” wrote Kaja Kallas, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, on the social media platform X. “Increased pressure, together with our partners, and increased military support to Ukraine can shorten this war.”

Ukraine has done much to both endure and to recover, especially in Bucha, scene of the first mass killing of civilians by Russia. The city has been rebuilt. “We needed to transform a place of tragedy into a place for living again,” former city council member Mykhailyna Skoryk-Shkarivska told commonspace.eu.

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“Every sign of normal life, our families, community, friends motivates us,” she added. “Even during conflict, people kept cooking borsch and mashed potatoes, tending to daily life, and celebrating the small moments.”

And the big events, like an anniversary of a war’s beginning.

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