Russian military parade marks 80 years since victory over Nazis

Russia has marked the 80th day of the decision of Nazi Germany successful World War II with a monolithic subject parade connected Red Square successful Moscow.

Attended by President Vladimir Putin, alongside overseas leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the “Victory Day” spectacle, celebrated connected May 9, is Russia’s astir important secular holiday.

The parade and different ceremonies underline Moscow’s efforts to task its planetary powerfulness and cement the alliances it has forged portion seeking a counterbalance to the West amid the struggle successful Ukraine that has dragged into a 4th year.

The combat against the Nazis successful World War II – known successful Russia arsenic the Great Patriotic War – is simply a uncommon lawsuit successful the nation’s divisive past nether communist regularisation that is revered by each governmental groups. Putin has utilized that sentiment to promote nationalist pridefulness and underline Russia’s presumption arsenic a planetary power.

The Soviet Union mislaid 27 cardinal radical arsenic it fought Germany’s forces successful 1941-45, an tremendous sacrifice that near a heavy scar successful the nationalist psyche.

Speaking astatine the parade, Putin hailed Russian troops warring successful Ukraine, saying that “we are arrogant of their courageousness and determination, their spiritual unit that ever has brought america victory”.

The lawsuit featured astatine slightest 11,500 soldiers and much than 180 subject vehicles, including tanks, armoured infantry vehicles and artillery utilized connected the battlefield successful Ukraine. As a reminder of Russia’s atomic might, launchers for the Yars nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles rolled crossed Red Square.

Fighter jets from the aerial force’s aerobatic squad flew by successful adjacent formation, followed by jets that trailed fume successful the colours of the nationalist flag.

After the show, Putin shook hands with Russian subject officers. He besides talked to a radical of medal-bedecked elder North Korean officers who watched the parade, hugging 1 of them.

Last month, Putin thanked North Korea for warring alongside Russian troops against Ukrainian forces and hailed their sacrifices arsenic Pyongyang confirmed their deployment for the archetypal time.

Putin had declared a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire starting connected May 8 to coincide with the Victory Day celebration, but warned that Russian troops would retaliate to immoderate attacks.

The events were overshadowed by Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Moscow and terrible disruptions astatine the capital’s airports.

Russian emblem bearer Aeroflot connected Wednesday greeting cancelled much than 100 flights to and from Moscow, and delayed astatine slightest 140 others arsenic the subject repelled repeated Ukrainian drone attacks connected the capital.

Russian authorities tightened information up of the parade and mobile telephone net outages were reported amid physics countermeasures aimed astatine foiling further drone attacks.