The war in Ukraine has been ongoing for five years.

Omissions

• The most common reference point for 'the war in Ukraine' is the full-scale Russian invasion of 24 February 2022, which by 16 September 2026 had lasted about 4 years and 7 months (i.e. it was in its fifth year) — 'five years' rounds this up slightly.
• The conflict in eastern Ukraine (Donbas) and the annexation of Crimea began in 2014, meaning the war in Ukraine as a whole has lasted roughly 12 years by 2026; the speaker's 'five years' implicitly adopts the 2022 full-scale-invasion starting point.

Sources

• PrimaryUN OHCHR / HRMMU — Four Years Since the Full-Scale Invasion of Ukraine (fact sheet)Title: 'FOUR YEARS SINCE THE FULL-SCALE INVASION OF UKRAINE' — confirms that as of February 2026 four years had elapsed since the start of the full-scale invasion.
• PrimaryNATO — Marking four years since Russia's full-scale invasion'Today (24 February 2026), NATO marked the fourth anniversary of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.'
• SecondaryUNRIC — Four years since the full-scale invasion: What is the UN doing in Ukraine?'the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine grinds into its fifth year' — indicating that by early 2026 the war was in its fifth year (about 4 years elapsed).
• SecondaryInternational Crisis Group — Conflict in Ukraine's Donbas: A Visual Explainer'The armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine started in 2014. Between then and early 2022, it had already killed over 14,000 people. On 24 February 2022, Russia...' — documents the 2014 origin of the wider war.