KIEV, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine celebrated its 26th independence anniversary on Thursday with a military parade in central Kiev, which involved foreign troops.
About 4,500 servicemen from the Ukrainian armed forces, the National Guard, the State Border Service and the police participated in the ceremony held in Khreschatyk -- the central street of the Ukrainian capital.
The parade involved more than 230 servicemen from 10 foreign countries, including Britain, Georgia, Canada, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, the United States, Latvia, Romania, and Estonia.
This year, no military equipment was rolled through Khreschatyk during the parade, but a major exhibition of military hardware opened nearby, showcasing 70 units of Ukraine-made military vehicles and weaponry, including 25 newly-developed samples.
Among the audience of the parade was Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman and Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak, who were joined by high-ranking foreign guests, including the U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis and defense chiefs from nine other countries.
In an address during the parade, Poroshenko praised the Ukrainian army, saying it is currently "in better shape than ever", while pledging to do his utmost to resolve conflicts through diplomatic means.
"Ukraine is ready to give a tough military response if an aggressor launches an offensive. But still, a peaceful, diplomatic, political and legal way is a priority for us," he said.
The celebrations were held under heightened security measures, with about 7,000 law enforcement officers guarding the streets of Kiev, 17 percent more than last year.
Ukraine won independence from the former Soviet Union on Aug. 24, 1991, a day marked as its Independence Day. The East European country held its first Independence Day parade in 1994, and made it an annual event in 2014 when the conflict between government troops and pro-independence insurgents started in the eastern part of the country.
Last year, about 4,000 troops and 200 military vehicles participated in the Independence Day parade.
