Russia Victory Day parade: Only one tank on display as Vladimir Putin says country is going through 'difficult period'

MicroWave@lemmy.world to World News@lemmy.world – 348 points – Russia Victory Day parade: Only one tank on display as Vladimir Putin says country is going through 'difficult period'
news.sky.com

On 9 May every year, Russia celebrates Victory Day, putting on a large parade in honour of the country's victory over Nazi Germany 79 years ago - in what remains an important symbol of the country's national identity.

Russia only had one tank on display during its Victory Day parade this year.

Every year, Moscow wraps itself in patriotic pageantry for Victory Day, a celebration of its victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War.

Today marks the 79th anniversary and Mr Putin addressed the parade in the Red Square, talking up his country's military capabilities in a speech aimed as much at a foreign audience as a domestic one.

Vladimir Putin used his Victory Day speech this year to try and warn Russia's combat forces were "always ready" but admitted the country was going through a "difficult period".

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They did the same thing in 2023, one tank, a WWII T-34 last year.

'The Second World War T34 tank was the only one present - as it was last year too.'

I thought this story sounded familiar.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Moscow_Victory_Day_Parade

I also thought the one, lonely tank seemed familiar (had to check the article date to make sure it was new). Thanks for posting that so I didn't have to dig up last year's.

ok I did look at your wikipedia page and went to some links for it trying to find this but im sorta curious what was the typical number of tanks before? I know you are unlikely to just know this but worth a try.

Again, Wikipedia , but in 2020 they had 'around 250 plus vehicles... and 80-strong (aircraft) flypast.'

The '250 plus' seems to be armored vehicles, they counted ICBM and intermediate missle launchers separately.

2023 and 2024, no planes either

thanks. I appreciate that. Wow. What a difference.

That's what tends to happen when you send a parade army into a war it was never meant to fight.

Last year there were a couple of T-34s standing on the sidelines, though they may not have been in working order.

brb posting to lemmygrad

you are now banned from lemmygrad.ml

I'd love to earn a ban from the worthless tankies.

It's not hard! Just say pretty much anything that's not deep-throating dictators...

Hell just say NATO is a defensive alliance and they go off the rails. I've picked up a few long bans for that alone.

Too true. I told a guy to stop throating putin's cock and earned a ban.

Just exist for a while, if you're a reasonable person in a comment thread, chances are you'll get preemptively banned anyway!

Maybe don’t invade your neighbors then, you miserable cunt.

Would have been sweet if a drone flew in and blew that one up too.

...and putin commenting "yeah, really difficult period indeed".

Imagine inheriting the corpse of the Soviet Union and having less tanks than literally anyone, much less a nation you've invaded out of your weird Tsarist-era port obsession.

they've been going through a difficult period since 26 March 2000, vladimir.

They've been going through a different period since the year of our Lord 862.

yeah that conversion to dictatorship is long, hard fight, but apparently worth it. youre almost there, putin!

WhistlinDiesel could single handedly take on Moscow rn is what I'm hearing.

Personally, I can't wait for the next mad dash for Moscow. Pudding got so close.

in a clown suit, next year, putin will be the only attraction and russians will joyfully throw him tomatoes and banana peels : it will be the best military parade ever.

This is the best summary I could come up with:

Today marks the 79th anniversary and Mr Putin addressed the parade in the Red Square, talking up his country's military capabilities in a speech aimed as much at a foreign audience as a domestic one.

Vladimir Putin used his Victory Day speech this year to try and warn Russia's combat forces were "always ready" but admitted the country was going through a "difficult period".

In the parade in Moscow, only one tank was present throughout the entire display - as the country continues to dedicate considerable firepower and resources to its war in Ukraine.

Earlier this year, Russia began refitting old tanks after losing 3,000 while fighting in Ukraine, according to a leading research centre.

Moscow lost more than its entire pre-invasion active inventory of tanks in its war with Ukraine, but has enough lower-quality armoured vehicles in storage for years of replacements, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) said.

Columns of military vehicles and missiles roll across Red Square every year and squadrons of fighter jets roar overhead as medal-bedecked veterans join him to review the parade.

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