Ukraine marks Independence Day as EU approves further defence funding

Ukraine marked 35 years of independence on Monday with ceremonies focused on fallen soldiers as Russian attacks continued.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy laid flowers at the Wall of Remembrance in Kyiv. Civilian casualties have risen in recent weeks amid shortages of air-defence systems.

On the same day the European Commission approved Ukraine’s next spending envelope of €6.1 billion under the EU’s larger €90 billion loan programme. The funds are earmarked for air and missile defence systems, missiles, ammunition and radars.

The package is intended to address the immediate shortfall that has left Ukrainian cities more exposed to drone and missile strikes. British officials separately confirmed they would share classified technical information to help Ukraine produce longer-range missiles.

Russian forces have continued pressure along multiple fronts. Ukrainian officials report daily civilian deaths and damage to energy and residential infrastructure.

The Independence Day observances underscored both the human cost of the war and the continued flow of Western military support, even as political debates over the scale and duration of that support persist in several capitals.