Putin ‘panicked’ as defiant Ukraine marks Independence Day under Russian bombardment

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Ukraine's Independence Day faced heightened security risks as former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Carrie Filipetti, now executive director of the Vandenberg Coalition, says Vladimir Putin is "panicked." Ukraine marked its 35th Independence Day on Monday under the shadow of continued Russian attacks, with one regional security expert arguing that Russian President Vladimir Putin is "panicked" as Ukrainian forces strike deeper inside Russia. The anniversary, commemorating Ukraine's Aug. 24, 1991, declaration of independence from the Soviet Union, came amid intensified Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure and heightened security concerns after Ukraine's Security Service warned of possible terrorist attacks ahead of the holiday. European leaders joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv for Independence Day events in a show of s