Military parade in Kyiv

About 4,500 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, the State Border Service, and employees of the National Police of Ukraine took part in celebrations marking the 26th anniversary of Ukraine's independence. A march was attended by about 3,100 people and 500 members of military bands.

A group of flag bearers in new ceremonial dress appeared for the first time with the flag of the First Ukrainian Cossack Regiment named after Bohdan Khmelnytsky, who participated in a parade on Khreshchatyk Street in 1917. The military flag of the Third Iron Rifle Division of the Ukrainian People's Army was also carried during the parade.

The military parade was attended by ten units from different countries (Britain, Georgia, Canada, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, the United States, Latvia, Romania, and Estonia), nine of which are members of the North Atlantic Alliance. Foreign partners, representatives of defense agencies and 11 delegations from the defense ministries of the partner countries (Georgia, Lithuania, Latvia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Turkey, Montenegro, Estonia, the United States, and Britain) have been invited to the festivities.

The combined brass band performed a Zaporizhian March for solemn military events, written by composer Mykola Lysenko and used by the Army of the Ukrainian People's Republic.