Kyiv Holds Major Pride March with Active-Duty Service Members in Attendance

Thousands of participants took to the streets of Kyiv in a March for Equality on June 14, winding through the city’s central avenues.

Participants carried placards inscribed with powerful civic slogans: “No peace without justice in Ukraine,” “We march for those who cannot,” and “For the freedom of all Ukrainians,” as they advanced past historic landmarks and government buildings.

Service members marched alongside diplomats, international observers, and local activists, with uniformed officers stationed at key intersections to ensure order. According to the organization “Ukrainian LGBT+ Military and Veterans for Equal Rights,” at least 59 units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine include service members who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer or asexual.

The march’s peaceful conclusion reinforced the capital’s identity as a forum for open public discourse and communal support.

Earlier, Kharkiv celebrated diversity and resilience with its sixth annual Pride event amidst the Russian full-scale invasion.