Dnipro flag-raising marked Ukraine's State Flag Day in 2018
A look back at the commemorations on 23 August 2018, when a large national banner was raised in Dnipro and Washington's sanctions on Russian shipping firms were still fresh.
What did State Flag Day look like in Ukraine on 23 August 2018? Celebratory events were held across the country and beyond its borders, marking the holiday.
The centrepiece came in Dnipro. There, President Petro Poroshenko raised the largest national flag, measuring 12 by 18 metres, as part of the observances.
The holiday fell amid an active week in international affairs. Two days earlier, on 21 August 2018, the United States imposed sanctions on two Russian shipping companies and six vessels, citing their involvement in transferring oil to North Korea. The measure was reported as part of the wider record of Russia–United States relations at the time.
On the day itself, however, attention in Ukraine centred on the flag ceremonies. Events at home and abroad gave the holiday a visible public presence, and the raising of the oversized banner in Dnipro was the highlight of the official programme involving the head of state.
