Kiev Independence Day Parade

Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Kuchma during the Independence Day Parade in 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.[4] 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.[4] For the first time, there were parades in Lviv and Vinnytsia, Odessa, Chernihiv and Sevastopol.[4] 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[6]

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» (Viktor Lisovol). The parade did not include military equipment. The 2003 Commander was the Chief of the Kiev Garrison Colonel-General Petro Shulyak. Inspecting the parade was Defense Minister Yevhen Marchuk.

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.

An officer during the parade in 2008.

Ukrainian BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles on parade in 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.[4]

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. 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 of Ukraine Sergey Kirichenko.

The parade rehearsal.

The 2014 parade was led by Lieutenant-General Anatoly Pushnyakov. 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. It was inspected by Defense Minister Valeriy Heletey. The commander of the parade was Lieutenant General Pushkarov [7][8]

The Corps of Drums of the Ivan Bohun Military High School.

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".

Members of the Polish-Lithuanian-Ukrainian Brigade in on the street during the 2016 parade.

2016 celebrated the 25th anniversary of Ukraine's independence.[9] 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.[10][11] Participants of parade honored the dead Ukrainian heroes. A minute of silence was accompanied by the folk song A Duck is Floating

The celebrations were attended by the President of Poland Andrzej Duda. Also participating in the parade was the Lithuanian–Polish–Ukrainian Brigade.[12]

In 2017, the parade celebrated the 26th anniversary of Ukraine's independence.[13][14] 4,500 troops participated in the parade, along with 9 formations from NATO allied countries[15][16][17] The Secretary of Defense of the United States,[18] 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 will officially be given names of historical figures:
  • 72 independent mechanized brigade received the name of the military formation of the Ukrainian People's Republic Army - Black Zaporozhians,
  • 24 independent 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.

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.[19][20][21][22] The Ukrainian military decided to include a contingent of female soldiers in the military parade for the first time since its inception.[23][24] The parade was also the first to use "Glory to Ukraine" and "Glory to the Heroes" as the official greeting of the parade formations.[25] Similar to the previous year's parade, the parade also included 15 contingents from NATO armed services as an expression of gratitude for their assistance and support to all the men and women of the armed forces, active and reserve.[26] Also, a number of Armed Forces units were granted unit honorifics honoring Ukrainian War of Independence figures and battles and important Ukrainian military heroes.

Under the presidency of Viktor Yanukovich, the parade was not held at all due to budget concerns.

On 10 July 2019 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Facebook that the 2019 Ukrainian Independence Day celebrations will not include a military parade.[2] Zelensky also stated "We have decided to allocate 300 mln hryvnias [nearly $12 mln] as bonus payments to our servicemen, i.e. fixed-term soldiers, cadets, sergeants, officers.”[1][2]

The Central Band of the Military Band Service of the National Guard of Ukraine

• Massed Bands of the Military Music Department of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces
  • Band of the Kiev Presidential Honor Guard Battalion (2015)
  • [National Presidential Band of Ukraine] (2016, 2018)
  • Military Band of the National Guard of Ukraine (2017, 2018)

• Corps of Drums, Ivan Bohun Military High School
• Tri-Service Colour Guard
• Historical colour guard
• Colours from military, police, civil defence and border guard units
• Corps of Cadets, Ivan Bohun Military High School
• National Defense University
• Kyiv Presidential Honor Guard Battalion
• 1st Guards Battalion, Independent Presidential Regiment (Mechanized)
• Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi National Ground Forces Academy
• Military Institute of Telecommunications and Information Technologies
• Ivan Kozhedub National Air Force University
• Koroliov Military Institute (National Aviation University)
• Naval College Odessa (Nakhimov Naval Academy) (National University - Odessa National Maritime Academy)
• Navy NCO Training School
• Infantry Corps
  • 72nd Mechanized Brigade
  • 30th Mechanized Brigade
  • 57th Mechanized Brigade
• Armor Branch
  • 1st Tank Brigade
• Artillery Branch
  • 26th Artillery Brigade
  • 15th Rocket Artillery Regiment
• Air Assault Forces
  • 25th Airborne Brigade
  • 95th Airmobile Brigade
  • 80th Airmobile Brigade
• Air Defense of the Air Force
  • 96th Anti-Aircraft Brigade
• Ukrainian Naval Infantry
  • 36th Marine Brigade
• Armed Forces Reserve
  • 4th Army Reserve Corps
• Composite battalion of female personnel of the Armed Forces
• National Internal Affairs Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
• National Guard Military Academy
• 1st Special Purpose Brigade, Northern Command of the National Guard of Ukraine
• 25th Public Security Protection Brigade, Northern Command of the National Guard of Ukraine
• National Security Service Academy
• Composite battalion of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine
• Khmelnytskyi National State Border Guard Service Academy
• Kharkiv National Civil Defense University, State Emergency Service of Ukraine
• Veterans contingent