On Thursday, Russia celebrated the anniversary of the Red Army's victory over Nazi Germany, marking the end of fighting in Europe during World War II, known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945). Military parades took place in multiple cities across the country, but the largest happened on Red Square in Moscow.
Mobilizing more than 9,000 soldiers and 61 pieces of military equipment, the parade was hosted by Acting Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and led by the Chief of the Russian Ground Forces Oleg Salyukov. They reviewed the troops in domestically made Aurus Senat limousines.
Even an unprecedented frost at the beginning of May (in the Russian capital in the morning it was just 1 degrees Celsius above zero) and a heavy snowfall did not prevent the three traditional parts of the parade from taking place: the passage of the land army, the parade of military equipment and the aerial part.
Vladimir Putin's Address
During his speech before the parade commenced, the Russian president reiterated that the truth about the Second World War was being distorted.
"Revanchism, mockery of history and justification of Nazism are part of the general policy of Western elites," Putin said.
According to him, Russia would do everything to prevent a global conflict and will not allow anyone to threaten the country.
Army Marches On
By tradition, the drummers of the Moscow Military Music School open all military parades on Red Square.
Groups carrying the Victory banners, the national flag of Russia and the standard of the Armed Forces marched in front of the stands. They were accompanied by an honor guard made up of ground forces, aerospace forces and the navy.
For the first time, participants of the special military operation in Ukraine took part in the parade.
Vehicle Parade
The symbol of Victory, the legendary T-34-85 tank, opened the second part of the parade, alongside all-terrain vehicles carrying standards of the 10 fronts of the Great Patriotic War.
They were followed by BTR-82A armored vehicles, Typhon-K universal reinforced protection armored vehicles and Tiger-M multipurpose armored vehicles.
The Linza armored medical vehicles, intended for the evacuation of the wounded from the battlefield, paraded on the cobblestones.
Spectators admired Iskander-M systems, S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft systems, as well as Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Russian Aerospace Forces Flyover
The aerial component was provided by the famous aerobatics teams Russian Knights and Swifts.
An aerobatic group consisting of Su-30SMs, MiG-29s and six Su-25 attack aircraft left a tricolor trail in the somber Moscow sky.