Russia to hold Victory Day parade without military equipment for 1st time since invading Ukraine
Russia’s defense against Nazi Germany’s war in World War II, the Russian Defense Ministry said late Tuesday. He said the traditional parade marking the 81st anniversary of World War II defeat would take place without military equipment.
It will be the first time since the launch of Moscow Full-scale invasion of Ukraine In 2022, no military equipment will be in Moscow’s Red Square on May 9, when Russia celebrates its founding anniversary. most important secular holiday and displays its military might.
In the ministry statement, the “current operational situation” was cited as the reason for the exclusion of the military equipment convoy and students from the parade. No detailed information was given in the statement.
The parade will include “soldiers from all types of higher military educational institutions and certain branches of service of the Russian Armed Forces” and traditional military aircraft parades, the ministry said.
World War II It is a rare event in the country’s divisive history under communist rule, revered by all political factions, and the Kremlin has used the sentiment to promote national pride and underscore Russia’s position as a global power.
The Soviet Union lost 27 million people in what it called the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45; It was a tremendous sacrifice that left a deep wound in the national psyche.
President Vladimir Putin, who has ruled Russia for more than 25 years, has made Victory Day a key pillar of his tenure and has sought to use it to legitimize the war in Ukraine.
Last year’s parade It was the largest since Russia sent troops to Ukraine The most global leaders to Moscow Over the decade, it has included high-profile guests such as Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico.
It contained more than 11,500 soldiers and more than 180 military vehicles, including tanks, armored infantry vehicles and artillery used on the battlefield in Ukraine, as well as massive Yars nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile launchers and unmanned aerial vehicles carried on military trucks. Warplanes also flew over Red Square.
Putin made a statement 72-hour unilateral ceasefire Starting May 7, authorities blocked mobile phone internet in Moscow for several days to prevent Ukrainian drone attacks.
In 2023, the parade was scaled back, with fewer soldiers and military equipment on display, and no flyover.
