Putin's Victory Day Parade flops as just a single tank drives down Red Square in embarrassing military display
A T-34 Soviet-era tank drives during a military parade on Victory Day
Reuters
Vladimir Putin’s Victory Day Parade became something of an embarrassment after just a single tank drove down Moscow’s Red Square.
The 83-year-old T-34 was cheered as the ceremony later played the Russian national anthem and performed a gun salute.
But the single tank appeared to embody the toll of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian army was estimated to have lost nearly 40 per cent of its prewar fleet of tanks after just nine months of fighting in the ex-Soviet state.
Vladimir Putin addressed supporters at the Victory Day Parade
Reuters
Kyiv has claimed Moscow has lost 3,734 tanks during the conflict.
The T-34 has traditionally opened Russia’s annual celebrations due to its symbolic role in helping the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics defeat Nazi Germany.
But the World War Two armoured vehicle is normally accompanied by modern tanks as Moscow looks to display its full military might.
Only 51 vehicles took part in this year’s parade, compared to 131 last year.
Vladimir Putin used his appearance at the Victory Day Parade to accuse the West of waging war against Russia
Reuters
The modern T-14 and T-74 were among the tanks included in Moscow’s 2022 celebrations.
Around 8,000 Russian troops marched across the Red Square earlier today, down from 11,000 in 2022.
Analysts in the West have suggested the decision to scale-back tanks was likely to conceal the losses suffered by Russia’s army since Putin orchestrated the invasion of Ukraine last February.
However, the Kremlin stressed the event was cut back after Ukraine was accused of attacking Moscow in a drone strike intended to assassinate the Russian President.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon, Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhamedov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev take part in a flower-laying ceremony
Reuters
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky has categorically denied any role in the alleged aerial assault.
Putin used his appearance at the Victory Day Parade to accuse the West of waging war against Russia.
The 70-year-old told troops that Moscow must defend itself from “international terrorism”.
Putin, who suggested Ukraine had become a “hostage” of the West and its “neo-Nazi” allies, also said “a real war has been unleashed against Russia”.
The Kremlin stressed the event was cut back after Ukraine was accused of attacking Moscow in a drone strike intended to assassinate the Russian President
N/CThe Russian President added: “The security of the country rests on you today, the future of our statehood and our people depend on you.”
Russia marks the end of the World War Two just one day after Britons celebrate Victory in Europe Day.
Russians commemorate the defeat of Nazism on May 9 because officials in Berlin signed the German Instrument of Surrender less than an hour before midnight on the day before in 1945.
A total of 8.7million Soviet soldiers died during the six-year conflict, the Russian Ministry of Defence has claimed.
Other estimates push the total Russian death toll to as high as 20million.