Kyiv sees Victory Day parade of Ukrainian, Russian, and Belarusian troops

On May 9, a parade of Ukrainian, Russian, and Belarusian troops took place on Khreschatyk Street and Independence Square in Kyiv to mark the 65th anniversary of the Great Patriotic War

At 10:02, the Chief of the General Staff/Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ivan Svyda started his round to greet the troops participating in the parade.

At 10:15, the honor guard of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry brought to Independence Square the national flag of Ukraine and the Victory Flag. The standards of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Ukrainian fronts, the Ukrainian Partisan Front, 60 battle flags of military units which liberated the territory of Ukraine and countries of Eastern, South-Eastern and Central Europe from the Nazi invaders were brought to Independence Square too.

At 10:20, the participants in the Victory Day military parade sang the national anthem of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych delivered his speech on the occasion of the holiday.

At about 10:30, started the parade of military vehicles, trucks, and cars dated back to the times of the Great Patriotic War. Troops wearing the military uniform of the Soviet Army of 1941-1945 marched on Khreschatyk Street and Independence Square too.

The column was led by a legendary T-34 tank with the symbol of the Victory Flag on its turret. The tank was followed by ZIS-5, GAZ-67, and Willis cars and M-72 motorcycle.

Infantry, tank-men, navy, partisans, and women soldiers marched on Khreschatyk Street then.

The ceremonial march of modern troops started at 10:45.

The drummer-company of the Kyiv Military School after Ivan Bohun opened the parade of the active forces.

The company was followed by officers carrying the Flag of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and flags of kinds of troops of Ukraine. The parade unit of the Novorossiysk-Kyiv regiment of the President of Ukraine and the 45th detached guard regiment of special forces of the airborne troops of Russia marched there after.

The Belarusian troops and officers of the National Defense University of Ukraine followed them.

Military orchestras closed the parade.

Participating in the Victory Day military parade were 2,664 troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other Ukrainian armed formations, 75 Russian and 130 Belarusian troops.

On May 9, 2010, Ukraine, as well as other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, celebrates the 65th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.