Addis Ababa, May 9, 2022(Walta) – Russia held its annual Victory Day military parade at Moscow’s Red Square on Monday to mark the 77th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War.
According to CGTN, this year’s parade was closely watched worldwide as the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues. Russia launched what it describes as a “special military operation” in Ukraine on February 24.
Delivering a speech during the parade, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the operation was necessary and “timely,” and had been provoked by the West. He said NATO and Ukraine were creating threats “unacceptable to us” on Russia’s borders.
Russia “urged Europe to find a fair compromise, but they didn’t want to hear us,” Putin said, calling the operation a “right decision” of an independent, strong, and sovereign country.
He told Russian military forces that they are fighting for the security of Russia. “You are fighting for your motherland, its future,” he said.
“The death of every soldier and an officer is painful for us,” he said. “The state will do everything to take care of these families.”
Up to 11,000 troops and more than 130 armored vehicles marched on the Red Square. The T-90M Proryv (Breakthrough) main battle tanks, S-400 air-defense missile systems, and Years thermonuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles were among the weapons showcased during the parade.
In total, military parades were held in 28 Russian cities this year, involving almost 65,000 people, about 2,400 types of weapons and military equipment as well as more than 460 aircraft, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.