Today, Saturday, Russia held the last exercise before its traditional military parade the day after tomorrow (May 9) on the occasion of Victory Day, which celebrates the defeat of Nazi Germany by Moscow in 1945 and is an event in which Russia demonstrates its military might during the invasion of Ukraine .
Russian President Vladimir Putin has used this military parade in recent years to show off the strength of his army and showcase new, state-of-the-art weapons from time to time. This year’s exhibition is expected to fall into the same context.
And the official TASS news agency pointed out that the paratroopers involved in the offensive in Ukraine boarded armored vehicles during the exercise, provided they were present at the parade on Monday.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is now in its third month, but it has been marked by some disappointments, including logistical ones.
After failing to invade the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, in the face of Ukrainian forces that were more ready than expected and armed from Western countries, the Russian General Staff was forced to rethink its goals, limiting its offensive to eastern and southern Ukraine.
Putin will deliver a long-awaited speech and is expected to try to cover up the fact that the Russian cruiser Moskva sank last month.
Russia confirms that the Navy command ship Moskva, owned by the Black Sea Fleet, sank due to a fire caused by a munitions explosion, while Ukraine claims it sank as a result of missile strikes.
The May 9 military parade will be another opportunity for Putin to issue a warning as Moscow constantly brandishes the nuclear threat.
The Russian Defense Ministry noted that an “Apocalypse aircraft” — the Il-80, specially designed so that the Russian President could continue flying over Russia in the event of a nuclear war — will fly over Red Square.
Several types of weapons capable of launching nuclear missiles will be on display, such as the Yaris RS-24 ICBM and the Iskander short range system.
The military parade is being held this year as many Russians fear public mobilization due to the war in Ukraine, even if the Kremlin denies it is planning such a move.
Only after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 did the May 9 military parade become an annual tradition.
Putin has turned the D-Day parade into a massive televised spectacle to intimidate Moscow’s opponents and preserve the national structure of Russians.
The main celebrations take place on Red Square, but festivities will also take place in dozens of Russian cities.
