To mark the 78th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany, Russia is holding its traditional military parade on Red Square on Tuesday — but the celebrations are being mocked as a joke on social media. The reason: a puny T-34-85 is the only tank on display. The Kremlin needs all its working equipment at the front, it is speculated.
The festivities take place under strict security measures: Thousands of soldiers marched on the square: but you will not find a large number of tanks. Only a single T-34-85 passed through the crowd. The obsolete war vehicle was built until the mid-1950s.
The air show has also been cancelled
Another “Victory Day” embarrassment: The flight show was surprisingly canceled. The Russian news agency TASS reports succinctly: “The aerial part of the Victory Parade on Red Square has been cancelled.” In his speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin presented his country as a victim in the current conflict with Ukraine: “A real war broke out. unleashed against our homeland,” he explained. The choice of words is striking: Normally one can only speak of a “military special operation”.
Putin praised Russian love for the Motherland
“We are proud of the participants of the military special operation in Ukraine,” Putin said. There is nothing stronger than the love of Russians for their homeland. Russia is threatened by the West: “But we have fought international terrorism, we will protect the people of Donbass and we will ensure our security,” Putin justified his war of invasion. Ukraine, on the other hand, has become “hostage” to Western states that want to destroy Russia. “Their aim is (…) the disintegration and destruction of our country.”
Officially, 8,000 soldiers would have marched on Red Square, some of them would have also fought in Ukraine. Foreign heads of state and government had gathered in the audience, namely from the former Soviet republics of Belarus (Belarus), Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Armenia.
Cancellation of parades in 20 other Russian cities
Another cancellation this year was for the traditional “Immortal Regiment” march, which usually takes place after the parade. In addition, parades were canceled in more than 20 other Russian cities because the security risk was deemed too great. More recently, attacks have increased, especially in southern Russia and on the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
