Russia celebrating Victory Day

Today, Russia and post-Soviet countries are celebrating one of the most important holidays of the year – Day of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. Celebrations will take place in Moscow and other cities of Russia and CIS countries. Military parades and solemn marches will be held in all Russian regions. Moscow will become the traditional central platform for celebrations. 

The key event of the day is the Victory Parade on Red Square, which began at 10:00 Moscow time. It will involve 13,046 people and 159 pieces of modern armaments and military hardware. A total of 75 helicopters and combat planes will fly over Red Square. The 'Immortal Regiment' rally will be held in Moscow and other cities after holding the parade. 

The national flag of the Russian Federation and the Victory Banner were brought onto the Red Square to the music of The Sacred War. The military parade is led by the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Ground Forces, Colonel General Oleg Salyukov and is hosted by the Russian Defense Minister and Hero of Russia, Army Gen Sergei Shoigu, who was greeting the troops on the 71st anniversary of Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War. The motorcar of the Russian Defense Minister headed towards the main stage where he reported before the Russian President and Commander-in-Chief, Vladimir Putin.

After that the head of state delivered a speech on today's holiday and declared a moment of silence. 

"All nations understood that Nazism was defeated due to the Soviet soldier. However, now, attempts are being made to rewrite the history. We will do everything to keep this memory. We will always be proud that the USSR did not bow, when other countries decided to capitulate."

The address of the Russian president is followed by the national anthem.

Then came the passage of troops on Red Square. By tradition, it was opened by the drummers of the Moscow Military Music School. Then the units holding the Banner of Victory, State Flag of the Russian Federation and the Banner of the Russian Armed Forces passed by. The banner unit is accompanied by a silent drill company, which includes Ground Troops, Aerospace Forces and Navy. 

A company of the Moscow Suvorov Military School under the command of Colonel Igor Yekimov marched on the Red Square. Now entered Red Square cadets of the Suvorov Military School. They were followed by cadets the Sevastopol-based Nakhimov Navy School and All-Russian Youth and Military Patriotic Movement Unarmia (Young Army), as well as attendees of the Military Academy of the Russian Armed Forces.

Units of the Marshal Vasilevsky Military Air Defense Academy participated in the parade. They were followed by cadets of the Khrulev Logistics Military Academy, a regiment of the Russian Aerospace Forces and a regiment of the Mozhaisky Military Space Academy.

A regiment of the Russian Naval Forces marched across Red Square, cadets of the Nakhimov Black Sea Maritime School, as well as marines of the 336th Separate Guards Brigade of the Baltic Fleet and marines from the 61st Kirkenes Separate Costal Brigade of the Northern Fleet also joined the parade.

Female soldiers and the regiment of the Strategic Missile Forces Academy entered the Red Square. It was followed by the regiment of the Russian Airborne Forces Academyand servicemen of the 331st Kostroma-based Guards Airborne Regiment. Unit of the Russian Armed Forces military police took part in the parade for the first time.

Parade unit of the Marshal Timoshenko Military Academy of nuclear, chemical and biological protection, Railway troops, as well as Parade unit of the Russian Emergencies Ministry entered the square.

National Guard Troops Service of the Russian Federation, parade unit of the Saratov Military Institute with National Guards Troops, which is taking part in the parade for the first time, border unit of the Moscow Border Institute with the Federal Security Service, Troops of the Russian Western Military District, Personnel of the legendary 4th Guards Kantemirovkaya Tank Division, named after Yuri Andropov, as well as the 27th Independent Guards Red Banner Motorized Rifle Brigade also joined the parade.

The Kremlin Cadets completed the parade' first part.

The parade is lead by the symbol of Victory, the T-34 tank, accompanied by all-terrain vehicles carrying the banners of the 10 fronts of the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War. A motorcade of the Russian Armed Forces' modern military multi-purpose armored vehicles is headed by Typhoon 4х4 and the Tigr-M, equipped with the Arbalet module and the anti-tank system Kornet entered the Red Square. The Taman Three-Time Decorated Motor Rifle Guards Division also entered the Red Square on the T-14 Armata tanks, the main battle tank T-72B3 and the tank support vehicle Terminator.

They were followed y a parade unit of the 106th Tula Red Banner Guards Airborne Division, as well as 147th Simferopol Red Banner Regiment, which includes the Koalitsiya-SV and the MSTA-S 152mm self-propelled howitzers. Then the Iskander short-range ballistic missile system from the 112th Novorossiysk Guards Missile Brigade and a motorcade, which consists of Buk-M2 anti-aircraft and Tor-M2 air defense missile systems, joined the parade. The Pantsir-S was also presented.

A motorcade of S-400 Triumf missile systems entered the Red Square. They were followed by remote robotic demining system Uran-6 and the fire support robotic system Uran-9 as well as the unmanned aerial vehicles Katran and Korsar.

The Russian National Guard's mechanized convoy took part in the parade for the first time. Its special vehicles include Tigr, Patrul and Ural armored cars. A column of Yars autonomous missile launchers and an advanced Bumerang amphibious wheeled armored personnel carrier finished the second part of the parade.

The multi-purpose Mi-26 helicopter and four MI-8 helicopters open the third part of the parade. The Russian Armed Forces' combat helicopters were represented by the modernized Mi-24P. The Tu-160 supersonic variable-sweep wing strategic bomber lead a group of four Tu-22M3 supersonic bombers. Then a group of three Il-76MD modernized military transport vehicles flyed over. The next group of three planes are modernized multipurpose Il-76MD freighters. It was followed by four MiG-29SMT light fighter jets, four frontline bombers Su-24M, a group of the MiG-31 supersonic interceptor aircraft, a group of the Su-34 fighter-bombers and Su-57 fifth-generation multi-purpose stealth supermaneuverable fighters.

A tactical wing containing the Su-34 fighter-bombers as well as the fighter jets Su-30 and Su-35 was seen in the sky next. They were followed by Su-35SM and MiG-29 fighters.

Six Su-25 assault aircraft colored the sky over Moscow in the Russian tricolor state flag. The modernized MiG-31K interceptor planes equipped with the newest hypersonic aviation systems, Kinzhal also flyed over.

The parade came to an end with the joint performance of servicemen from the 154th Separate Commandant Preobrazhensky Regiment, cadets of the Moscow General Khalilov Military Music School and musicians from the Parade Orchestra of the Moscow Garrison. Servicemen left Red Square to the accompaniment of the Farewell of Slavyanka march.

Ten parades will be held in the South and North Caucasus federal districts in Volgograd, Novorossiysk, Sevastopol, Kerch, Rostov-on-Don, Vladikavkaz, Stavropol, Astrakhan, Simferopol and Novocherkassk, the South Military District said, specifying that they will involve more than 9,000 troops and more than 350 pieces of armaments and military hardware.