Putin celebrates without victory: Russia is planning a large military parade on May 9th
Created: 05/06/2022, 16:16
By: Christian Stör
Russian soldiers hold an exercise ahead of the planned May 9 military parade in Moscow on April 29, 2022.
© Imago
In the shadow of the Ukraine war, Kremlin chief Putin rolls tanks through Moscow on the day of the Soviet victory over Hitler's Germany.
On May 9th, Russia celebrates “Victory Day” over Nazi Germany.
The parade this year is all about the Ukraine war.
You can read all the developments on the Russian military parade in the middle of the Ukraine conflict on May 9 in our ticker.
Moscow – The spectacle is well known.
Every year on May 9, on the anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Hitler's Germany, Russia showcases its military might.
In the year of the Ukraine war, the day has a special meaning for Vladimir Putin and the nation.
May 9th in Russia: Will Putin officially declare a state of war?
The President's speech on Red Square in Moscow is awaited with great excitement.
For a long time, experts thought that Putin would declare the war in Ukraine over on May 9th.
But Putin's military is still a long way from success.
As a precaution, Russia's foreign minister has already rejected any speculation: "Our military will not artificially align its actions with any date," Sergey Lavrov recently told the Italian television channel Mediaset.
Another option sounds more likely.
Putin could officially declare war on Ukraine and order general mobilization.
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace even suspects that Putin wants to declare the campaign in Ukraine a global war against "Nazis".
The only thing that is certain is that Putin will warn the US and NATO against attacks on Russia.
May 9th in Russia: Moscow wants to present new rocket launchers at a military parade
In total, military parades are planned for May 9 in 28 Russian cities.
At the country's largest march in Moscow, 11,000 soldiers are to march, tanks, rockets and the latest war equipment are to be presented.
"For the first time, modern Tornado-G multiple rocket launchers with a caliber of 122 millimeters and equipped with automatic control and fire control systems will roll across Red Square in the motorized column," announced Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, according to a report by the Interfax agency.
According to the Defense Ministry, the Iskander missiles deployed in Ukraine will also be on display.
Battle tanks such as the most modern type T-14, the air defense systems S-400, Buk-M3 and Tor-M2, combat robots of the Uran-9 type and ICBMs that can be equipped with nuclear warheads will also be on display.
At an air show, fighter jets, long-range bombers and the Ilyushin Il-80, known as the “doomsday plane”, are to take off.
The flying command post is designed for use in the event of a nuclear war, should the command centers on the ground no longer function.
(cs/dpa)