Ukrainians reflect on anniversary of Russian invasion

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) - The anniversary on Friday of Russia's invasion of Ukraine was a somber day for many of the country's 43 million people. Here's a selection of what some of them said:

"I can sum up the last year in three words: Fear, love, hope." -- Oleksandr Hranyk, a school director in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city.

"For me, it's a terrible pain and a day where I don't want to go back in my thoughts, re-watch photos or videos. A very tough day." - Daria Horda, 25, who hasn't seen her family in Russian-occupied Nova Kakhovka since Moscow's troops rolled across Ukraine's borders on Feb. 24, 2022.

"This day has become a symbol for me that we have survived for a whole year and will continue to live." - Tetiana Klimkova, a Kyiv resident who has a ribbon on her purse in Ukraine's blue and yellow national colors.

"Victory is ours; Young people will live." - Nelia Zamostian, 62, who was attending a church memorial service in Bucha, a town outside Kyiv that became an early symbol of Russian atrocities.

"We have been standing for exactly one year. And we still know: every tomorrow is worth fighting for." - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"We celebrate not a year of the war, but a year of resilience, humanity and salvation. A year of united Ukraine that has changed the world." - Ukraine's first lady, Olena Zelenska.

"Ukraine is entering a new period, with a new task - to win" -- Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov.

"It's hard not to imagine that from now on, we're more than a year apart from our normal lives." - Ukrainian writer Viktoria Amelina.

Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine