A year of destruction in Ukraine

One year ago today, Russian tanks first rolled into Ukraine, leveling buildings and destroying homes within miles of Kyiv and prompting a heroic defense that has transformed the war into to a deadly slog with no end in sight.

Since the invasion begun, the U.S. has spent more than $62 billion in military aid to Ukraine, according to the Department of Defense. Ukrainian military officials say U.S. weapons have made all the difference.

Hi, it's Julius with an update on Ukraine.

The U.S. has provided infantry arms and equipment, air defense systems, missiles, helicopters, drones, satellite imagery, trucks, trailers, coastal patrol boats, the list goes on. The U.S. said it will also send 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, though they will take several months to deliver, Lt. Col. Martin Meiners told Paste BN on Feb. 17. The first batch of U.S. Abrams tanks destined for Ukraine is expected to arrive as early as this year.

And for Russia, its military manpower and equipment reserves are significantly depleted and it's unclear if it has enough power to launch a major, sustained new offensive, either timed to Friday's anniversary or in the coming months, according to military analysts at the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington, D.C., think tank.

But Ukraine’s military is still preparing for one. In fact, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that a predicted Russian spring offensive has likely already begun.

As Ukraine's war efforts continue, its military forces know U.S. weapons will play a crucial role. 

To show how, a senior Ukrainian military intelligence officer and several special forces soldiers guided a Paste BN reporter in mid-February to a secret location on a ridge a few miles outside the frontline town of Bakhmut, in Ukraine's mineral-rich eastern Donbas region.

More on the Ukraine-Russia crisis

• Biden deals new sanctions: The Biden administration announced sweeping sanctions against Russia Friday, targeting 200 individuals and entities, which include both Russian as well as third-country actors in Europe, Asia and the Middle East that are supporting Russia's war efforts. A dozen Russian financial institutions will also be targeted.
• U.N. resolution: The United Nations General Assembly approved Thursday a nonbinding resolution condemning Russia's invasion and calling for the withdrawal of its forces from Ukraine.
• Financial decree: Ukraine issued a decree Wednesday halting all transactions involving assets owned by Russian financial institutions. The decree is set to last 50 years.
• War crimes investigation: Investigators have so far identified at least 91 Russian soldiers involved in war crimes in and around the town of Bucha, Ukraine Prosecutor General Andrey Kostin said Wednesday.