France’s Emmanuel Macron is overseeing his 10th and last national day parade as president on Tuesday.
The annual military procession – which marks the July 14, 1789, storming of the Bastille fortress in Paris during the French Revolution – will rev up the crowds before France plays Spain in World Cup semi-finals at the end of the day.
Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend the celebrations in central Paris despite a scorching heatwave that has seen a forest blaze rage outside the capital and fireworks banned in many parts of the country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is among the high-profile foreign guests joining Macron to witness the display, which comes as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is well into its fifth year.
The parade is showcasing joint formations, including active Ukrainian troops marching side-by-side with forces from Kyiv’s European allies, and joint flights featuring allied co-pilots in the Parisian skies.
Macron has said the sports event will be preceded by a minute’s silence for the victims of deadly jihadist attacks 10 years ago in the southern city of Nice.
