Ukraine restored its independence from the Soviet Union on 24 August 1991.
The Act of Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Ukrainian SSR’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, after a failed hard-line coup in Moscow alarmed Soviet republics. The vote passed overwhelmingly, with 321 deputies supporting it. Ukraine’s independence was then put directly to voters in a nationwide referendum on 1 December 1991, when more than 90% voted yes.
That referendum was crucial because it transformed the parliamentary declaration into a clear popular mandate. Poland and Canada became the first countries to recognize Ukraine’s independence on 2 December, and international recognition expanded rapidly. The Soviet Union formally dissolved on 26 December 1991.
A common mix-up is confusing Ukraine’s date with the Baltic republics’ restoration dates. Lithuania declared independence on 11 March 1990, Estonia on 20 August 1991, and Latvia on 21 August 1991. Ukraine’s 24 August declaration is commemorated annually as Independence Day.