On August 24, 2021, Ukraine celebrates 30 years of independence. On this day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on this day, for the first time during his tenure, received in Kiev a large-scale parade of the armed forces of Ukraine and military allied countries – with tanks, armored personnel carriers and aircraft.
Ex-presidents Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yushchenko and Petro Poroshenko were next to Zelensky. Among the foreign guests were the Presidents of Lithuania, Poland and Latvia, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, as well as the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
Large-scale and according to NATO standards
Speaking before the start of the parade, which brought together Ukrainians from different parts of the country, President Zelensky said that all citizens of Ukraine – from the east and west – “should be one family.” This year, the parade took place without the traditional detour of the units by the Minister of Defense. It was just such an innovation that the ministry called the day before a departure from “sovietism” and a demonstration of adherence to NATO standards.
At the beginning of the parade, servicemen carried a 30-meter national flag. Further to the Maidan walked columns of foot – more than five thousand servicemen. Among the participants in the march were also representatives of the troops of 15 partner countries of Ukraine – Canada, USA, Lithuania, Estonia, Georgia, Denmark and others. And the International Symphony Orchestra of the Joint Armed Forces sang the European Union’s anthem – Beethoven’s ode To Joy.
New military equipment
After a half-hour march, aviation equipment flew over the center of the capital, including the world’s largest transport aircraft An-225 “Mriya”, created by the Kiev plant named after Antonov. According to official data, more than a hundred aircraft, four hundred units of weapons and military equipment took part in the parade.
In particular, tanks marched through the center of Kiev, transported multiple launch rocket systems, air defense systems, and also showed Bayraktar robotics and drones. Among the novelties that the audience saw were elements of a reconnaissance and strike complex with Neptune anti-ship missiles, a Sapsan missile system, and an Oplot-2M tank, which was released in Kharkov in August this year.
On the same day, a naval parade was held in Odessa with the participation of ships from Ukraine and NATO. Such a demonstration of the fleet was organized for the first time in the years of Ukrainian independence. The festive events ended with a concert at the 70-thousandth Kiev stadium “Olympic”.