Moscow’s Victory Day parade depleted by losses in conflict

FEWER soldiers and armoured vehicles will take part in the May 9 Victory Day in Moscow because the war in Ukraine has weakened the Russian military.

There will be a lower number of tanks and self-propelled artillery vehicles in the parade, which commemorates the defeat of Germany in the Second World War.

The absent equipment includes T-80BVM tanks, Solntsepek flamethrower and Pantsir-s anti-aircraft systems, the Russian defence ministry said.

There will be around 130 military vehicles, compared with 191 last year.

Around 10,000 personnel will take part, compared with 12,000 last year. No foreign leaders have been invited to the event, which will celebrate the 77th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Adolf Hitler’s Nazis.

At the 60th anniversary George W Bush, then US president, sat next to Vladimir Putin in Red Square. The diversion of equipment was seized on by the Ukrainian president as evidence that the Russian army has been severely depleted by the two-month war.

“Yes, they still have missiles to strike at our territory, but this war has already weakened Russia so much that they have to plan even less military equipment for the parade in Moscow,” said Volodymyr Zelensky. He claimed that since the start of the war on Feb 24, Russia has lost more than 1,000 tanks, 2,500 infantry fighting vehicles, nearly 200 planes and over 23,000 soldiers.

President Zelensky said that despite the heavy losses, Russia still has plenty of missiles and artillery with which to strike Ukrainian forces.

Victory Day will feature 33 marching columns of Russian soldiers, security agency personnel and cadets, according to the defence ministry.