Solemn parade on Independence Day held in Ukraine

The central Maidan in Kyiv held a solemn military parade dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence.

It was attended by the President of Ukraine, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Volodymyr Zelensky, former presidents Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yushchenko, Petro Poroshenko, and other officials of the country.

Zelensky was moved to tears when a little Ukrainian girl greeted the servicemen with flowers at the opening of the parade. In his speech, the President said that Ukraine is not a 30-year state but a thousand-year state. He expressed confidence that Ukraine’s independence is valuable for Ukrainians and all ethnic groups that are citizens of the country. In his speech, the President also touched upon the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

Well-known Ukrainian military expert Yuri Kochevenko told Report that the army equipment presented at the parade was mainly Ukrainian production:

“Some are already used in military battles, and some have just been added to the arsenal—for example, Neptune missiles. At the same time, we have equipment purchased from the countries we cooperate with. An example is the Turkish-made unmanned aerial vehicle Bayraktar. After the role of this aircraft in the liberation of Karabakh, it was decided to include it in the arsenal of the Ukrainian army. In addition, Ukraine’s unique Olxa and Verba jet systems were demonstrated. More than 5,000 servicemen took part in the parade, and 100 aircraft and 400 military equipment were shown.”

In addition to Kyiv, a military parade on Independence Day was held in Odessa, Ukraine.