Bastille Day: France holds parade with Ukraine in focus

The celebrations features troops and warplanes from around Europe in a show of support for Ukraine, as it fends off Russia's ongoing invasion. It is Emmanuel Macron's last Bastille Day as France's president.

France on Wednesday is celebrating Bastille Day with a special show of solidarity with Ukraine. 

A massive parade is being held in Paris in front of French President Emmanuel Macron and other high-level guests in Paris. The event will feature European troops and warplanes from the "Coalition of the Willing" in support of Ukraine, which has been fending off Russia's ongoing invasion. 

It is Macron's last Bastille Day as president. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is attending the celebrations as a special guest. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are also attending.  

Bastille Day, which is known as la fete nationale francaise, is marked on the 14 of July each year, to remember the storming of the the Bastille in 1789. The Bastille is a medieval fortress and prison, and the storming of the royal facility was a key moment during the French Revolution. 

This story will be updated as the celebrations get underway. Stay tuned for more!

Edited by: Zac Crellin

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