Ukraine Independence Day March to be held in Rome on 23 August

ROME – The Ukrainian community in Rome will hold a march on Sunday 23 August to mark Ukraine’s Independence Day and demonstrate solidarity with the Ukrainian people amid the country’s continuing war with Russia.

Ukraine will celebrate the 35th anniversary of the restoration of its independence on 24 August 2026. The anniversary commemorates the 1991 declaration of independence, when Ukrainians voted overwhelmingly to establish a free, democratic and independent state.

For the fifth consecutive year, however, the anniversary will be marked against the backdrop of Russia’s full scale invasion. The conflict follows Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, which began in 2014 and escalated dramatically with the Kremlin’s full scale invasion in February 2022.

The march, organised by the Ukrainian community in Rome, will begin at 4pm on Sunday 23 August in Piazza della Repubblica. Participants will proceed along Via Cavour and Largo Corrado Ricci before concluding on Via dei Fori Imperiali.

Organisers say the demonstration will express solidarity with Ukraine, support for its resistance and an appeal to the international community, with Italy in particular, to strengthen military, economic and humanitarian assistance to the country.

Oles Horodetskyy, president of the Association of Ukrainian Christians in Italy, urged Italians and members of the international community to join the demonstration.

“The Ukrainian sky must be defended from Russian ballistic missiles. It is an urgent matter that will save many human lives,” Horodetskyy said.

He argued that Ukraine must receive practical support rather than expressions of solidarity alone, warning that further delays could have consequences beyond Ukraine itself.

“Ukraine must be helped not with words, but with concrete actions. Tomorrow may be too late, and not only for Ukraine but for all of Europe,” he said.

The organisers are also calling for those responsible for alleged war crimes and violations of international law to be held accountable, stressing that aggression against a sovereign state must not be rewarded and that countries defending themselves against invasion must continue to receive international support.

The march comes as Ukraine prepares to mark another Independence Day under wartime conditions, with its supporters in Rome seeking to keep the country’s struggle and the need for continued international assistance at the centre of public attention.

PS