The Kyiv Independence Day Parade () has been the main event of various celebrations of the Independence Day of Ukraine, which is celebrated annually in Kyiv on August 24.Theoretical and Comparative Perspectives on Nationalism by Taras Kuzio, ibidem Press, 2007, (352)Language Policy and Discourse on Languages in Ukraine Under President Viktor Yanukovych by Michael Moser, ibidem Press, 2013, (page 102)Ukraine military parade marks 25 years of independence, BBC News (24 August 2016)
20th century The first parade in honor of Independence Day was held on Khreschatyk Street in 1994 on the country's third anniversary. The parade commander was the head of the Kyiv Military District Ivan Bizhan and inspecting the parade was the Defense Minister Vitaly Radetsky. It was then held off and on in different formats. A large-scale aviation show on Independence Day took place at Kyiv Chaika Airfield in 1997, featuring flypasts by personnel of the Ukrainian Air Force in first participation of air component of the ZSU equipment.Авиация и Время. — Вересень 1997. — с.30 In 1998, the parade included military army vehicles for the first time since 1990. The last parade of the century was in 1999.
21st century
2001
On its 10th anniversary of independence of 2001, Kyiv held its largest parade at the time. 173 pieces of equipment and 6,530 soldiers took part in the parade. Soldiers, who were dressed in old Cossack uniforms, were also at the parade. A new column of T-84s, took part in the parade for the first time. For the first time, there were parades in Lviv and Vinnytsia, Odessa, Chernihiv and Sevastopol. Russian president Vladimir Putin, Polish president Aleksander Kwaśniewski, and Macedonian president Boris Trajkovski attended the parade. It was inspected by Minister of Defense Oleksandr Kuzmuk.
2003 The 2003 parade, marking the 12th anniversary of independence, included more than 5,000 soldiers from 16 battalions. The National Anthem was performed by a Ukrainian folk artist Ivo Bobul. Also first time as official title performed the march «Kozatska slava» (). The parade did not include military equipment. The 2003 Commander was the Chief of the Kyiv Garrison Colonel-General Petro Shulyak. Inspecting the parade was Defense Minister Yevhen Marchuk.
2004 The 2004 parade did not use military equipment. 19 battalions of soldiers took part in the parade. Officers who participated in the parade received a commemorative badge in honor of the 23rd anniversary of independence. The parade was inspected by Defense Minister Yevhen Marchuk. The commander of the parade was Mukola Petruk.
2008
This parade was the first one since 2004 due to lack of funds for the parades. This parade celebrated the 17th anniversary of independence. Participating in the parade were 144 ground units, 22 aircraft, 8 helicopters, and over 3.5 thousand troops.
2009 In 2009, 3,400 soldiers marched on Khreshchatyk in honor of the 18th anniversary of independence. Thirty-five planes, including bombers, attack aircraft and combat helicopters flew over the capital during the parade. The highlight of the parade was the Antonov planes flying overhead. The musical accompaniment was provided by the Massed Bands, which composed of 19 independent bands. Commanding the parade was the Ground Forces of Ukraine Colonel-General Ivan Svyda. The parade was inspected by the Chief of General Staff General of the Army Sergey Kirichenko.
2014 The 2014 parade was led by Lieutenant-General . It was inspected by Defense Minister Valeriy Heletey. The capital was lined up with 50 pieces of military equipment, including new models of the BTR-3E and the "Wasp" anti-aircraft gun. More than a thousand troops from the Armed Forces, Interior Ministry and State Border Service took part in the parade. 120 of the 1,500 participants were participants in the Anti-Terrorist Operation in Eastern Ukraine. Many denounced the parade as a waste of money and as an inappropriate event during the War in Donbas. There was a moment of silence to remember the "Heavenly Hundred" who died during the Maidan Revolution of 2013 and 2014.
2015 The parade went without the participation of military vehicles. In President Poroshenko's speech he mentioned the Battle of Ilovaisk and promised to not forgive those responsible. At the same time, he called the Minsk II protocol "uncontested". There were 2,300 soldiers participating in the parade. Fourteen units carried battle flags of honor with the combat banner "For courage and bravery".
2016
2016 celebrated the 25th anniversary of Ukraine's independence. The parade involved more than 4,000 soldiers of the Armed Forces, and over 200 pieces of military equipment. The parade commander was Lt. General Serhiy Popko. The soldiers paraded in the new model uniforms which incorporate details from the uniforms worn by the Ukrainian People's Army.Fashion statement: Ukrainian troops debut post-Soviet uniforms, The Washington Times (25 August 2016) Participants of parade honored the dead Ukrainian heroes. A minute of silence was accompanied by the folk song . The celebrations were attended by the President of Poland Andrzej Duda. Also participating in the parade was the Lithuanian–Polish–Ukrainian Brigade.
Many changes took place in the musical accompaniment, particularly when the German made Unter dem Siegesbanner by Franz von Blon accompanied the march of the foreign delegation, as well as when the traditional Red Cranberry & For Ukraine was replaced by the theme from Ukraine (by Taras Petrynenko) as the presidential fanfare.The opening inspection of troops was also accompanied by a new piece of music which was adapted to fit a military march, Zporiz'kyy March by Mykola Lysenko.
2017 In 2017, the parade celebrated the 26th anniversary of Ukraine's independence. 4,500 troops participated in the parade, along with 9 formations from NATO allied countries The Secretary of Defense of the United States, and the Defense ministers of Georgia, Lithuania, Latvia, Moldova, Poland, Montenegro, Estonia, and the United Kingdom attended the ceremony.
Also there was a military equipment exhibition on Mikhaylivska Square. For the first time in the parade the colour of the 3rd Iron Rifle Division of the Ukrainian People's Army (of the Ukrainian People's Republic) - one of the most famous combat units of the times of the Ukrainian War of Independence (1917–21) was officially displayed. For the first time in the parade the colour of the 1st Ukrainian regiment of the Bohdan Khmelnitsky which was formed in Kyiv in May 1917, who fought in the Army of the Ukrainian People's Republic also was paraded. Military units were officially given names of historical figures: 72nd Mechanized Brigade received the name of the military formation of the Ukrainian People's Republic Army — , 24th Mechanized Brigade received the name of King Danylo.
Also, two other units were given honorary titles: Hetman Ivan Vyhovsky, under whose leadership the Cossacks defeated the Tsardom of Russia army near Konotop in 1659.
2018
The 2018 parade took place on the occasion of the 27th anniversary of Ukraine's independence, as well as the centennial anniversary of the founding of the Ukrainian People's Republic. The parade was expected to demonstrate more than 200 new models military hardware in the mobile column.
The Ukrainian military included a battalion of 120 female military personnel in the parade for the first time since its inception. The unit comprised cadets from the Taras Shevchenko National University Military Institute and the Military Institute of Telecommunications and Information Technologies. Their appearance as they marched along Khreshchatyk was greeted with loud applause from the spectators.
The parade was also the first to use "Glory to Ukraine" and "Glory to the Heroes" as the official greeting of the parade formations. Also, a number of Armed Forces units were granted unit honorifics honoring Ukrainian War of Independence figures and battles and important Ukrainian military heroes.
2019 The Independence Day in 2019 was celebrated with two separate marches, one of which was unofficial. The new President Volodymyr Zelenskyy refused to hold a military parade, which provoked the disagreement of veteran and volunteer organizations, and already on July 10, the preparation of an alternative parade was announced. The active preparation for the alternative parade prompted the President to change his position and announce the preparation of official events called the "March of Dignity".
2021
According to a 21 October 2020 decree by President Zelenskyy on Independence Day 2021 a military parade was held on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Ukrainian independence. Zelensky planned a military parade on the 30th anniversary of Independence, Ukrayinska Pravda (21 October 2020) The parade was considered to be, the words of defense minister Andriy Taran, a break from the "Sovietness" of previous parades and a demonstration of the country's "commitment to NATO standards". As part of this, a new way to march was implemented, in which the servicemen have already raising the leg by five centimeters.
The following foreign dignitaries attended the parade:
Bartholomew I of Constantinople Lithuanian president Gitanas Nauseda Moldovan president Maia Sandu Polish President Andrzej Duda Macedonian President Stevo Pendarovski Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid Latvian President Egils Levits French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian
Many dignitaries attended in connection with the Crimea Platform held the previous day, including representatives of 46 states.
During the preceding ceremony, a theatrical performance referred to as "DNA" presented the history of Ukraine from the Kyivan Rus’ to modern Ukraine the Cossack era, literary Ukraine. At the outset, a 30 meter long flag of Ukraine held by soldiers marched first in front a veterans contingent. Foreign participants in the march-past, fly-past, and a flotilla off the coast of Odesa included Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Georgia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In the National Guard of Ukraine and border guards contingents, canine units were used for the first time. It demonstrated the latest developments, including the Vilkha multiple rocket launcher, Neptune cruise missile, Hrim-2 ballistic missile and other new and modernized defence equipment, as well as the Turkish UAV Bayraktar TB2. The Ukrainian military also held a military parade on the Dnieper River, outside the one on Khreshchatyk.
2026 On the 35th Anniversary of the Restoration of Ukraine's Independence, the first ever drone parade in Ukraine's history was held featuring nearly 100 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned ground vehicles, and unmanned surface vehicles of various types. The aerial procession consisted of 18 interceptor drones of the P1-Sun, Litavar, and Sting types, 27 bomber drones of the Vampire, Lasar, and Heavy Shot types, 8 reconnaissance drones of the SHARK and LF-400 types, and 7 long range strike drones of the Morok and Sichen types. 30 UGVs of the TerMIT, Rys, Simba, Ardal, Zmiy, and Ratel types were piloted down Khreshchatyk street in a procession. The naval procession consisted of 9 USVs of the Sea Baby, MAGURA, and Sargan types that were piloted up the Dnipro River.
Cancelled parade periods
2005–2007 By decree of President Viktor Yuschenko in 2005, the parade was cancelled, only to return in 2008 for the 17th anniversary of Ukraine.
2010–2014 Under the presidency of Viktor Yanukovich, the parade was not held at all.
2019–2020