Kiev (Ukraine)

Ukraine at 30 - The Independence Parade

24 August 2021

Credits: Wim Sonneveld, Erwin van Dijkman

Independence Day is celebrated as a national holiday in Ukraine on 24 August, sometimes with a military parade in Kyiv (Kiev). This year, a huge military parade was held to commemorate the 30th anniversary of independence from the Soviet Union. The independence of Ukraine was proclaimed during that fateful week in August 1991, which saw a coup against the Soviet-leadership, which eventually led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union later that year. Not surprisingly, the parade was held near Independence Square, the aircraft following Hrechatik Street and the Dnepr River from South to North. Smaller events were held in Odessa and nearby, on the Dnepr River in Kyiv, featuring naval forces with air support. Foreign allies were present with aircraft as well, like Poland, Slovakia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Full dress rehearsals were held on 18, 20 and 22 August, mainly outside business hours to limit disruption of normal live, and traffic, in Kyiv. In the days and weeks leading up to mid-August smaller formations of aircraft could already be seen practising over Kyiv.

The parade took place in the morning of 24 August 2021, which was spent at Vasylkiv, the base that hosted most participants for the parade. Other participants flew from their respective home bases, namely Polish F-16s, a USAF KC-135, Ukrainian Su-24s and Su-27 and transports, whilst two RAF Typhoons were sent to Kyiv’s Borispyl airport from their temporary base in Romania. A full-dress rehearsal was witnessed over Kyiv in the early evening of 20 August, from a spot near the Church of St Nicholas the Wonderworker, providing good views of the flight path. The parade featured a great line-up of Ukrainian fighter jets, like Su-24s, Su-25s, Su-27s, and MiG-29s, recently acquired Airbus helicopters, like an EC145 and EC225s, and wonders of the Kyiv-based Antonov Design Bureau like the An-70, a pair of An-72s, and the An-225 no less. Ukrainian Army helicopters proved a bit of a challenge as some did not wear borts, not even on paper behind the windows. Of the foreigners, only the Slovaks participated in the rehearsals. Apart from one MiG-29 and one Su-25, the same aircraft participated in the rehearsal on 20 August.

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