Official celebrations of the 28th anniversary of Ukraine's Independence have begun in Kyiv on the Alley of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes.

The celebrations are held with the participation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The president and his wife paid tribute to the fallen Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred, lit a candle and headed for the Independence Square. The president announced a one-minute silence in memory of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes.

Then, the solemn ceremony of raising the national flag of Ukraine took place. The ceremony was accompanied by the Ukrainian hymn performed by a combined choir.

President Zelensky delivered a speech.

Independence Day was usually celebrated with a military parade held in Kyiv. However, President Zelensky decided to celebrate Independence Day in a new format. Instead of holding a military parade, the state allocated UAH 300 million in bonuses to servicemen.

On July 30, Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Bohdan informed that the traditional parade would be replaced by a March of Dignity. A separate march, known as the March of Defenders, would be also held by Ukrainian war veterans.

ish