At the same time, Ukraine’s military said Russia had doubled the number of ships on active duty in the Black Sea on Friday and predicted it could be preparing more missile strikes.
For Ukrainians, who spent much of the year in fear and mourning and supported the war effort in any way they could, the anniversary meant reflection.
“When an innocent life is taken before your eyes, when someone targets a child, all you ask is ‘Why? For what’?” said Alla Nechiporenko, 50, whose husband was shot dead and 14-year-old son wounded at a Russian outpost in Bucha, near Kiev, at the start of the war.
In Russia, where publicly criticizing the war is punishable by a long prison sentence, a human rights group said dozens of people were detained by police for actions to remember the victims of the invasion, in some cases just flowers. to keep.
There were no official public events and the mood was muted.
Vera, a pensioner, said, “I really want peace, I really want all this to end as soon as possible.”
Igor, walking through Moscow, said that Russia should win: “We are hoping for it to end successfully. That is all we can hope for. We have no other option.”