Four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has given the public a rare, personal look at the underground bunker where he ran the country during the war’s earliest days.

In a nearly 19-minute video message posted on social media to mark the anniversary, Zelenskyy spoke directly to Ukrainians from the bunker complex beneath Bankova Street in central Kyiv. The address offered the clearest view yet of the underground facility that became the government’s command centre as Russian forces advanced toward the capital in February 2022.

“This office — this small room in the bunker on Bankova Street — is where I held my first conversations with world leaders at the start of the war,” Zelenskyy said, seated in a compact, white-walled room furnished simply with a desk, chairs and a television screen.

Zelenskyy recalls ex-US President Joe Biden’s offer

The Ukrainian leader also revisited one of the defining moments of those tense early days. He recalled a call with then-US President Joe Biden, who had warned him about the security threat and offered help to evacuate him from Ukraine.

“Here I spoke with President Joe Biden, and it was right here that I heard: ‘Volodymyr, there is a threat. You need to leave Ukraine urgently. We are ready to help,’” Zelenskyy said.
“And here I replied that I need ammunition, not a ride,” he added.

The remark — widely reported in the early days of the invasion — quickly became a symbol of Ukraine’s decision to stay and resist rather than relocate its leadership.

How does the bunker look?

The video showed what appears to be a large Soviet-era bomb shelter built to keep the government functioning during a major attack. Inside, small rooms have been set up for different branches of the state, including the presidency, the cabinet and parliament. Each space contains rows of chairs, communication equipment and Ukrainian flags.

The underground corridors looked functional rather than elaborate. Thick cables ran along the walls, gas pipes and electrical boxes hung from the ceilings and blue-and-yellow signs helped people navigate the maze-like tunnels.

Zelenskyy used the anniversary message to send a broader signal of resilience. He said Russia had failed to achieve its core objectives and had not been able to break Ukraine’s institutions or the determination of its people.

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But the context today is very different from the early days of the war. After four years of fighting, Ukraine faces heavy military losses, repeated missile and drone attacks and growing war fatigue at home.

International pressure is also increasing. Since taking office in January 2025, US President Donald Trump has pushed Kyiv to consider a peace deal that could involve territorial concessions to Russia.

Against that backdrop, Zelenskyy’s decision to speak from the bunker was meant to remind the country where its resistance began and how the leadership chose to stay underground in Kyiv when leaving might have been easier.