Ukraine Under Attack: 72 Hours in the Presidential Office

When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, it was widely expected that Kyiv, the capital, would fall within 72 hours. Despite the imminent threat, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy chose to stay and resist, putting his own life at risk to affirm his nation’s commitment to defending its independence. Drawing from interviews with Zelenskyy’s closest advisors, official government statements, and international media coverage, we reconstruct the critical first 72 hours of the invasion, revealing new insights into the events that ushered in an era of global polarization and instability.