Ukraine’s Independence Day 2026: the Kaunas commemoration and the hardest year of the war

Today, 24 August, Ukraine marks the 35th anniversary of its independence – for the fifth time since Russia’s full-scale invasion began. In Kaunas, the commemoration starts at noon by the memorial plaque to Colonel Yevhen Konovalets on Laisvės alėja and closes with a concert at the Vytautas the Great War Museum – our fund is one of the event’s organisers. In the evening, a solidarity rally is held on Cathedral Square in Vilnius, and around ten heads of state have travelled to Kyiv for the day.

This anniversary is not a holiday in the usual sense: four years of war have killed more than 15,000 Ukrainian civilians, and the past twelve months have been among the hardest the country has faced since the invasion began.

The commemoration in Kaunas: where and when

• 11:55–12:00 – Marches by the Lithuanian Air Force orchestra (Laisvės al. 34)
• 12:00 – Ceremonial formation of the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union and flowers at the memorial plaque to Colonel Yevhen Konovalets
• 12:15 – Procession with Lithuanian and Ukrainian flags to the War Museum garden
• 12:30 – Flower-laying ceremony at the Freedom Monument and the Unknown Soldier’s grave
• 12:45 – Formal commemoration at the Vytautas the Great War Museum: both anthems, a prayer for the fallen defenders of freedom, a minute of silence, remarks by the museum and Ukraine’s diplomatic mission
• 13:00–14:00 – Concert by the Ukrainian ensemble “Malvos” and soloists

Admission is free – come, bring a flag, and stand with us. The full programme is in our invitation.

📎 Event poster (PNG)

Why 24 August

On 24 August 1991, after the coup in Moscow collapsed, a group of deputies carried the blue-and-yellow flag into the hall of the Verkhovna Rada, and Ukraine declared independence that same day – a decision confirmed by 92% of voters in December’s referendum. The historic flag is still kept in the parliament, and 23 August, the day before Independence Day, is Ukraine’s State Flag Day. Lithuania recognised Ukraine’s independence on 4 December 1991, and the two countries established diplomatic relations on 12 December – this year that friendship also turns 35.

One of the hardest years of the war

Numbers with people behind them. According to human rights monitors, 2025 was the deadliest year for Ukrainian civilians since the invasion began: 2,526 people were killed – a third more than in 2024. This year has already surpassed it: nearly 1,400 civilians were killed in the first half of 2026 – 37% more than over the same period last year – and July became the bloodiest month since May 2022, with at least 437 people killed, 17 of them children.

The main driver is the intensifying long-range strikes on cities. In July, Russia fired 376 missiles at Ukraine – the highest monthly total of the entire war, 126 of them ballistic; 650 ballistic missiles have been launched this year alone, and long-range drones now exceed 5,000 a month. Relentless strikes on the energy grid left hundreds of thousands of people without electricity and heating last winter. In total, more than 15,000 civilian deaths have been verified since February 2022, including 766 children, along with over 41,000 injured – the real numbers, sadly, are higher still.

The world in Kyiv today

A coalition of more than 30 countries supporting Ukraine is meeting in the Ukrainian capital today – for the third time in Kyiv. The meeting is chaired by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, with French President Emmanuel Macron joining remotely; European Council President António Costa, Moldovan President Maia Sandu and the leaders of the Baltic and Nordic states, Lithuania among them, have arrived in person. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a €6.1 billion air-defence package, and the EU’s declaration pledges to support Ukraine militarily, economically, politically and diplomatically for as long as it takes – EU support has already exceeded €220 billion since the invasion began. President Volodymyr Zelensky called this a year of Ukrainian anniversaries, culminating on this very day. Lithuania’s leaders sent their greetings too, pledging that Lithuania will stand with Ukraine – all together, until victory.

Support for Ukraine: how to help today

The best greeting for Ukraine is not words but deeds. Just two days ago our eight-vehicle convoy reached Ukraine with more than 3 tonnes of humanitarian aid – each vehicle’s trip costs around 150 €, and the fuel budget for this mission is still short.

Every euro of your support buys paraffin for trench candles, fuel, and vehicles for Ukraine’s defenders. What strengthens the fund most is monthly support – it lets us plan missions ahead, knowing we will set out again next month. One-time support matters just as much: every transfer brings the next mission closer.

You can also give your time. In the basement of the Kaunas Christ’s Resurrection Basilica (Žemaičių g. 31A), volunteers make trench-candle blanks, weave camouflage nets and pack shipments – come along, no experience needed. The volunteer schedule is on our Volunteering page.

Ukraine’s fight is our fight too. All together. 🇱🇹🇺🇦

Sources: BNS; the UN human rights monitoring mission’s half-year review and fact sheet; EU declaration (EEAS); Kyiv Independent; AP; RTE; UNITED24 Media; Russia Matters; V. Zelensky (X).