The Russian air force put on a awesome air show over red square Moscow Russia on Victory Day 2015. On Saturday Russia is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the victory in World War II. The biggest part is the military parade in Moscow’s Red Square, a grand event involving newest hardware at the army’s disposal. The parade opened with solemn carrying of two flags, that of Russia and the historic banner that was raised over the Reichstag building back in 1945 to declare that it was taken by the Red Army. Troops from all arms of the service were lined up on Red Square. Those include young cadets from Suvorov military school and visiting foreign troops from 10 countries. Inspecting the ranks, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu reported to President Vladimir Putin, who is Commander-in-Chief of the Russian armed forces, that the troops are ready for the parade to start. “Wherever veterans of the WWII live now, they must know that here in Russia we value greatly their courage, resolve and loyalty to the frontline brotherhood,” Putin said in a congratulatory speech. Putin praised the many peoples of Soviet Union, allies from Europe, across the Atlantic and Asia, which fought on one side against the Axis powers during the war. A minute of mourning followed to commemorate victims of the war: soldiers killed in battles, members of resistance movements, prisoners of deaths camps, civilians who perished to the hardships of sieges and wartime. Cannon fire and Russia’s national anthem sounded just before the troops started their march across Red Square. A military band was the first unit to start the marching. Soldiers wearing historic uniforms, including cavalry on horseback marched and rode across. Following them were foreign visitors of the event. Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, India, Mongolia, Serbia and China all sent their soldiers to participate in the Moscow parade. Officers-in-training from various cadet schools followed. One of the units came from an all-female cadet school, which contributed to a V-Day parade for the first time. Academy officers, the high-ranking military teachers, commanders, senior technicians and defense researchers, came next. Representatives from the Ground Forces, the Air Forces, the Navy, the Marines, the Strategic Missile Forces, the Air and Space Defense Forces, the Air Defense Forces, the Airborne Troops marched one by one across the Red Square, standing for all regular arms and branches of the Russian armed forces. Soldiers from one of the airborne units were wearing the Ratnik, Russia’s advanced combat uniform. Military specialists from troops involved in railroad transportation and biochemical warfare were followed by troops not under Defense Ministry command: Interior troops, Emergencies Ministry troops and Border Service guards marched. Elite Kremlin cadets were the final troops to march across Red Square, giving way to military hardware. Just like the march past, historic pieces of armor like legendary T-34 tanks opened the hardware demonstration. Tigr and Kornet D armored vehicles were the first hardware currently in service rolled out then. Next came infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers. A Tigr (Tiger) Russian all-terrain infantry mobility vehicle drives during the Victory Day parade at Red Square in Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2015. (Reuters/Host Photo Agency)A Tigr (Tiger) Russian all-terrain infantry mobility vehicle drives during the Victory Day parade at Red Square in Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2015. (Reuters/Host Photo Agency) Advanced BMD 4M and Rakushka vehicles came next. The newest APCs, Kurganets, of the airborne troops were demonstrated for the first time during the parade. Another novelty, Armata chassis-based heavy APCs, has been making headlines since the beginning of the year. T90A main battle tanks, one of the newest in the Russian army, came next. Their successor, Armata-based T-14 tanks, which will become the backbone of the Russian armored forces, rolled through the square. Then Msta-S self-propelled artillery paraded across Red Square. Following them were the modern Koalitsia pieces. Now it was the turn of heavy weapons. A unit armed with Iskander-M tactical ballistic missiles demonstrated their weapons followed by launchers and radar stations of the Tor-2U air defense system. Pantsir-S dual cannon and missile air-defense vehicles rolled onto Red Square. The S-400 Triumf, Russia’s most-advanced long-range defense system, which has no equal in the world now, came next. The ‘shield’ part progressed into the ‘sword’ component. Yars nuclear ICBM missile mobile launchers are a crucial component of Russia’s future nuclear deterrence. Bumerang armored vehicles, another firstcomers in the Russian armed forces were the final part of the ground demonstration. Tu-160M, the most advanced Russian strategic bomber, zoomed over the heads.

• published: 09 May 2015
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