London will mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day on 5 May with a military procession featuring Ukrainian troops alongside about 1,000 UK service personnel from the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the British Army and the Royal Air Force.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the forces joining together for the procession will symbolise the global support for Ukraine’s “continued fight for freedom against Russia’s unprovoked, illegal invasion.”
Ukraine has been at war with Russia since February 2022. The Ukrainian service members taking part will be those deployed to the UK on Operation Interflex – the UK armed forces’ training programme for Ukrainian recruits, delivered with 12 partner nations.
The UK and its partners have trained more than 54,000 Ukrainians in frontline combat skills since the programme was established in the summer of 2022.
The procession on 5 May will begin at 12:10 British Summer Time (BST). Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised veterans for their “selfless dedication” in an open letter. “It is not just that you keep us all safe. It is also that you represent the best of who we are,” Starmer wrote.
The King and Queen will watch the procession along with the Prince and Princess of Wales. A flypast at 13:45 BST will feature 23 current and historic military aircraft. Second World War veterans will watch from the royal box at the Queen Victoria Memorial.
The procession will be followed by a royal tea party at Buckingham Palace for about 50 veterans and their families.
Major Pavlo, an officer of the Ukrainian marching contingent, said: “The participation of Ukrainian service personnel in the VE Day parade in London symbolises our strength, courage and resilience.”
Defence Secretary John Healey said: “Eighty years after VE Day, we will celebrate our wartime veterans, our greatest generation. We will ensure their spirit lives on, not just in our armed forces but also in our values and commitment to strength through unity.”
Victory in Europe Day on 8 May 1945 marked when the Allies formally accepted Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender. Then-Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced on the radio that the war in Europe had come to an end.
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