In Russia and across the former USSR, Sunday marks the 76th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany and its allies in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. Parades dedicated to the hallowed day were held across Russia, with Moscow boasting the largest, with thousands of troops, nearly 200 vehicles, and dozens of aircraft taking part.
Victory Day was marked in Moscow as normal this year, with health authorities giving the event the green light amid weakened coronavirus restrictions and vaccination campaigns. A year ago, the parade dedicated to the 75th anniversary of victory was postponed (apart from its aerial portion) until June and the anniversary of the legendary Victory Parade of 24 June 1945. The 1945 parade was the largest-ever in the Red Square's history and involved over 40,000 troops and 1,850 military vehicles.
Sunday's event proceeded like clockwork, with the clock striking 10:00 am, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and parade commander Gen. Oleg Salyukov inspecting the troops, after which Shoigu headed for the tribune to report that the forces were ready for the parade.
Putin's Message: Lessons of WWII Still Relevant Today
In his speech ahead of the parade, President Vladimir Putin thanked veterans for their service and said that “we bow before your courage and fortitude.” He vowed that “we will always remember that it was the Soviet people who performed this great feat” and achieved victory. “During the most difficult time of the…
