Over the last two days, the rumble of armored convoys and the roar of military jet engines swept through the streets of Kyiv.
There is no need for alarm. The capital is just holding a dress rehearsal for the grand 30th Independence Day military parade, which will roll through Khreschatyk on Aug. 24.
The parade should be an exciting spectacle — the country’s Armed Forces and other security institutions said they would demonstrate over 400 vehicles, 100 aircraft, and over 5,000 troops of all uniformed branches of service, to demonstrate its growing power to stand up to Russia’s occupation of Donbas and Crimea.
It promises to be a second Christmas for all defense geeks.
Indeed, according to the announcements, we’re going to see many new and long-awaited weapons that have been recently accepted for service.
But before everyone gets too excited, the parade is still going to be dominated by the same Soviet-era workhorses of the 1970s and 1980s.
Despite being repaired and polished to a sheen, many of the aircraft and armored vehicles on display are decades old and will have to be retired within the next few years.
So what is there to see on Independence Day in downtown Kyiv?
Old but gold
First of all, one should pay attention to the sky.
The military and civilian aviation authorities are going to show off all they’ve got and they also invited some guests.
Firstly, it’s all about good old helicopters: transporters like the Mil Mi-8s and Mi-14s, as well as attack choppers like the Mi-24. The Interior Ministry is also going to unveil its newest Eurocopter EC225 models, recently purchased from France.
Venerable transport planes like the famous Antonov An-26, An-70, An-72, as well as the waterbomber An-32 will be in the air, followed by the grand Illiyshyn Il-76, accompanied by jet fighters.
But the true star of the show will be a civilian. The sky over Kyiv will be blessed by the arrival of the Antonov An-225 Mriya, the largest cargo aircraft ever built.
Tactical combat aviation will also be represented by old-timers like the Sukhoi Su-25 close air support aircraft, Sukhoi Su-24 bombers and Sukhoi Su-27, and Mikoyan MiG-29 fighters.
A visitor takes a picture of Antonov An-225 Mriya during a dress rehearsal to the 30th Independence Day Parade in downtown Kyiv on Aug. 18, 2021. (Volodymyr Petrov)
A formation of MiGs is expected to paint the sky with blue and gold, the colors of Ukraine’s national banner.
But this magnificence will be slightly tarnished by the knowledge that all those beautiful jets are all over 30 years old.
None of the Ukrainian aircraft on the parade were produced in independent Ukraine. According to Ukraine’s Air Force command, the military air fleet will reach its operational limits over the coming decade and will need to be replaced.
However, there is a piece of good news too: the military is going to roll out its newest Bayraktar TB2 attack drones purchased from Turkey and recently accepted into service.
The Slovakian Air Force will also do a flyby with their Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and Alenia C-27 Spartan transporter.
Moreover, we’ll see a wing of top-notch Eurofighter Typhoon fighters, reportedly flown by the British Royal Air Force.
Ground pounders
Events on the ground will be a bit less exciting, but still pretty interesting.
Apart from modernized T-64B main battle tanks, the armored convoy will be led by three advanced T-84 Oplot machines, including the one that was produced as recently as 2021 as part of a special contract with the Kharkiv Tank Factory.
Then Ukrainian-produced BTR-3 and BTR-4 armored personnel carriers and their numerous modifications will join the party, followed by armored cars Kozak-2, Bars-8, Humvees, and many more.
The Novator vehicles are expected to carry the holy grail of Ukraine’s defense community, the U.S-provided FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile system.
The artillery on display should be impressive as well. It will feature the veteran-heavy 152-millimeter pieces 2A36 Giatsynt-B and 2A65 Msta-B, as well as the country’s main missile weapons, such as the new 300-millimeter Vilkha systems, Buk-M1s, and S-300 missile defense system.
The parade will also be a chance to witness another long-awaited novelty: the Ukrainian-produced anti-ship missiles Neptun that had also been recently accepted for service to defend the nation’s southern coastline.
Speaking of ships, keep an eye on the Dnipro River, where Ukraine’s navy is expected to run a group of Gurza-class gunboats and small landing vessels.
T-64BM battle tanks drive through Khreschatyk street during a dress rehearsal to the 30th Independence Day Parade in downtown Kyiv on Aug. 18, 2021. (Volodymyr Petrov)
