Ukraine has held what it describes as the world’s first military parade consisting entirely of unmanned systems in Kyiv on 24 August, marking Independence Day.
“Polygonjournal” reports that, unlike traditional military parades, the event featured neither personnel nor conventional military equipment. Instead, a range of unmanned ground robotic systems, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and unmanned surface vessels (USVs) were presented.
The organizers described the event as the world’s first military parade consisting entirely of unmanned systems.
Dozens of ground robotic systems designed for logistics, reconnaissance, and combat missions were displayed along one of Kyiv’s main streets. Among them were robotic platforms such as “Termit,” “Rys,” “Simba,” “Ardal,” “Zmiy,” and “Ratel.”
Particular attention was also given to the aerial component of the parade. Various UAVs designed for different missions, including reconnaissance and strike drones, as well as unmanned systems intended to intercept aerial targets, were demonstrated over Kyiv. This category included the “P1-Sun,” “Litavr,” and “Sting” interceptor drones; the “Vampire,” “Lazar,” and “Heavy Shot” strike systems; the “Shark” and LF-400 reconnaissance UAVs; and the “Morok” and “Sichen” long-range strike systems.
Ukraine’s unmanned maritime systems were demonstrated on the Dnipro River. Alongside the “Sea Baby,” “Magura,” and “Sargan” systems, which have attracted international attention for their use in operations against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, maritime platforms designed for reconnaissance and other specialized missions were also displayed.
Speaking at the parade, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the country had developed a new, technology-driven defense industry during the years of the full-scale war. According to him, this industry responds to the new requirements created by the war, with its results already visible on land, at sea, and in the air.
Zelenskyy emphasized that the event was the first such drone parade in the world, noting that the systems displayed represented only a portion of the unmanned technologies Ukraine had developed during wartime.
One of the most notable features of the parade was the simultaneous demonstration of different unmanned platforms operating across land, air, and water. This showed that Ukraine is developing unmanned technologies not merely as individual weapon systems, but as an integrated military capability covering multiple operational domains.
The event also demonstrated the priority Ukraine places on the development of unmanned systems within its defense industry under wartime conditions. The presentation of various platforms, ranging from ground robots to long-range strike UAVs and unmanned surface vessels, highlighted the country’s expanding the scope of applications for unmanned technologies.
