Russia shows off new missiles and jets in Victory Day parade
RUSSIA - Russia has showcased some of its most advanced weaponry, including nuclear missiles, during a military parade on Red Square in honor of the 1945 victory over Nazi Germany.
“Peace is very fragile,” Vladimir Putin said at the start of the annual parade, which also featured a flypast by Russia’s new SU-57 stealth fighter, recently deployed to Syria. Around 27 million Soviet soldiers and citizens died in the second world war, and the annual Victory Day event is one of the country’s biggest public holidays. In recent years, critics have accused the Kremlin of using the holiday to push an aggressive form of nationalism. Other military hardware on show included Russia’s new hypersonic missile, known as the Kinzhal, which Putin recently described as “invincible”, and the YARS ballistic missile, which can carry 10 nuclear warheads over a range of up to 7,500 miles. Russia also showed off its Uran-9 remote-controlled light tank and advanced S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems. Among the few foreign guests at the parade was the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who is due to hold talks with Putin on military coordination after airstrikes in Syria overnight that were blamed on Israel. Nine people were killed when missiles hit depots and rocket launchers that probably belonged to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in Kisweh, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. Netanyahu said before his trip to Moscow: “In light of what is currently happening in Syria, it is necessary to ensure continued coordination” between the Russian and Syria militaries. He made no mention of the overnight strikes. Tensions between Israel and Iran are high as Tehran attempts to expand its military operations in Syria, where it supports President Bashar al-Assad. Donald Trump’s announcement on Tuesday that the US would break the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran has triggered uncertainty and threatened to spark more unrest in the Middle East. Russia has promised to supply Syria with air defense systems, most likely S-300 surface-to-air missiles.
(The Guardian)