France marks its national holiday - July 14, Bastille Day - with the traditional military parade along the Champs-Élysées in Paris. This year's edition is dedicated not only to the French armed forces, but also to strengthening European security and support for Ukraine against the backdrop of the ongoing war, BTA reports.
The parade involves nearly 6,700 servicemen, 98 aircraft, 31 helicopters and 315 units of ground military equipment. In addition to the French troops, the parade also includes representatives of the countries of the Coalition of the Willing, which provides military support to Ukraine. A total of 500 military personnel from the countries in the coalition and 25 Ukrainian military personnel march in the parade as a symbol of European solidarity.
According to information from the Bulgarian government, the ceremony also includes Bulgarian Guardsmen, who are part of the international contingent representing the allied countries.
The parade begins with a demonstration by the “Patrols of France“ aerobatic group, followed by a flyover of two Mirage 2000 fighter jets, piloted by French pilots and Ukrainian pilots who have undergone training to fly this type of combat aircraft. The air component also includes aircraft from ten European countries, underscoring the drive for closer military cooperation on the continent.
The ceremony also paid tribute to French servicemen performing missions on NATO's eastern flank, including in Romania and Estonia. Tributes were also paid to the French Navy, which this year celebrates 400 years since its creation.
Among the guests of honor at the parade are Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and 24 heads of state and government from European countries participating in the Coalition of the Willing. They include German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Bulgaria is represented by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov.
On the eve of the national holiday, President Emmanuel Macron delivered his traditional speech to the armed forces, in which he stated that the French defense budget had doubled over the past decade. He recalled that the updated military planning law provides for 436 billion euros for defense in the period 2024-2030, which is 36 billion euros more than the initial version of the program.
On Sunday, Paris also hosted a meeting of the leaders of the Coalition of the Willing. After the talks, the participants confirmed their intention to continue military assistance to Ukraine, with an emphasis on strengthening Ukrainian air defense.
After the military parade, President Macron will travel to Nice, where the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attack on July 14, 2016 will be marked. Then, an attacker drove a truck into the crowd gathered for the festive fireworks on the coastal boulevard “Promenade des Anglais“. The attack killed 86 people, injured over 450, and the perpetrator was eliminated by security forces.