Ukraine marks 34 years of independence with defiant message

Ceremonies have been taking place today in Ukraine to mark 34 years since the country gained its independence from the Soviet Union. President Zelensky said that, three-and-a-half years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Ukraine would not settle for anything less than a just and lasting peace. The BBC’s Zhanna Bezpiatchuk tells us about the mood in Kyiv today.

Also in the programme: the Nigerian military says it’s killed more than 30 jihadists in recent air strikes: we speak to the organiser of an open letter by a group of prominent Nigerians calling for a Presidential Task Force to halt the killing of civilians; and the Palestinian teachers in a displacement camp in Gaza City who are sharing their musical knowledge with children.

(Photo: A Ukrainian flag flutters next to the Independence Monument at the Independence Square in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, 23rd August 2025. Credit: Sergey Dolzhenko/EPA/Shutterstock)