Polish F-16s join Ukrainian independence parade

Four Polish F-16 fighter jets on Tuesday joined a high-profile military parade in Kyiv to mark the 30th anniversary of Ukrainian independence, news outlets reported.

A military parade in Kyiv on Tuesday to mark 30 years of Ukraine's independence from the Soviet Union.

Photo: EPA/SERGEY DOLZHENKO

Apart from the Ukrainian armed forces and other uniformed services, allied nations took part in the parade, among them US and Canadian troops, in addition to British Eurofighters and Slovak C-27 Spartan planes, according to the defence24.com website.

Photo: EPA/SERGEY DOLZHENKO

Polish President Andrzej Duda also attended the event, joining the Ukrainian head of state, Volodymyr Zelensky, on the honorary stand.

Photo: PAP/Leszek Szymański

Na defiladzie wojskowej z okazji Dnia Niepodległości Ukrainy 🇺🇦 pojawiły się także myśliwce wielozadaniowe F-16 będące na wyposażeniu Sił Powietrznych RP. pic.twitter.com/7qKkcE2ThW

— Kancelaria Prezydenta (@prezydentpl) August 24, 2021

Duda has been visiting Kyiv since Sunday.

His visit is “an important element of the process of building regional and international endorsement for the territorial integrity of Ukraine”, according to the head of the Polish president's International Policy Bureau, Jakub Kumoch.

W Kijowie trwają obchody 30. rocznicy niepodległości Ukrainy 🇺🇦, w których bierze udział Prezydent RP @AndrzejDuda. pic.twitter.com/QrBsAQuq13

— Kancelaria Prezydenta (@prezydentpl) August 24, 2021

Duda on Monday took part in the Inaugural Summit of the Crimean Platform, a gathering of international leaders in the Ukrainian capital.

While in Kyiv, the Polish head of state held talks with Zelensky and took part in Ukrainian Independence Day celebrations.

Ukraine regained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

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Source: defence24.com, prezydent.pl

Click on the audio player above to listen to a report by Radio Poland's Michał Owczarek.