Russia frequently takes advantage of its annual Red Square military parade in Moscow to showcase its arsenal. However, this year’s display was underwhelming, with the noticeable absence of their state-of-the-art tanks.
The May 9 Victory Day military parade, which honors the Soviet Union’s triumph over Nazi Germany in 1945, usually showcases a variety of tanks, including both modern and vintage models. However, this year’s parade was unique as it featured only a single WWII-era T-34 tank.
Related posts
For the second consecutive year, the tank element in the Russian parade has been noticeably toned down, with only one tank from a bygone era being showcased. Last year’s event was deemed embarrassing for Russia, and similar observations were made this year.
The absence of contemporary tanks in the military parade, to some extent, mirrors Russia’s involvement in the conflict in Ukraine, as highlighted by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s remarks during the event, wherein he commended the courageous individuals involved in the “special military operation.”
Russia has successfully rebuilt its military strength to the level it had at the beginning of its invasion of Ukraine. However, during the conflict in Ukraine, Russia has suffered significant losses, including thousands of tanks and numerous armored personnel carriers, due to anti-tank missiles, mines, and drones.
In February, the International Institute for Strategic Studies reported that Russia has lost more than 3,000 tanks since it invaded Ukraine. Just recently, Ukrainian forces have claimed to have destroyed several dozen Russian tanks in the Donetsk battlefield.
Moscow struggles to deploy its highly advanced T-14 tank due to reliability issues. In addition, the Russian military has suffered significant losses of its other tanks, including the T-72s, T-80s, and T-90s, during battles. As a result, they have been forced to utilize outdated Soviet-era tanks like the T-62s and T-54s, which have been taken out of storage and deployed to the front lines.
Russian soldiers were observed carrying what appeared to be drone jammers during the parade, possibly in response to the threat of attacks from Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles. Both Moscow and Ukraine have experienced previous incidents, with Ukraine conducting more frequent long-range drone strikes into Russian territory.
During the event, although the Russian tank display was noticeably absent, there were other contemporary Russian weapons that were showcased, including their intercontinental ballistic missiles. It is worth mentioning that Russia has consistently flexed its nuclear might throughout the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
During the event, President Vladimir Putin delivered a speech emphasizing Russia’s strength and preparedness while also taking a critical stance towards Western nations and Ukraine.
“We will not allow anyone to pose a threat to us,” he declared. “Our strategic forces remain in a constant state of combat readiness.”
