VLAD ON PARADE
Russia’s tanks, missiles and soldiers prepare for Victory Day parade as Putin flexes muscles amid Ukraine war threat
RUSSIAN fighter jets performed high-speed aerial acrobatic stunts as tanks and military troops put on a show of strength in preparation for the upcoming Victory Day parade in Moscow.
The annual event marks the anniversary of Russia's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II and is set to take place in Moscow's Red Square on May 9 despite the ongoing Covid pandemic.
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Hordes of servicemen marched in formation at the Alabino training ground on Wednesday, wearing facemasks and carrying red flags as tanks and rocket launchers joined the training exercise.
The parade - now in its 76th year - is held in remembrance of the 20million Soviet lives lost during the Second World War.
Video footage of the aerial display released by the Russian Ministry of Defence showed low altitude training exercises featuring the Mi-35 and Ka-52 attack helicopters and the Berkut aerobatic team in the Mi-28N helicopter.
Six Su-25 fighter jets will be used to carry out stunts and paint the Russian flag in the skies above Red Square.
The MoD also announced that several missile carriers will be showcased in the parade, including the Tu-160 and Tu-95MS.
The Tu-160 is one of the heaviest supersonic aircraft ever produced and is currently the faster bomber in the world.
The training day involved more than 70 different aircraft which performed stunts at speeds of 200-550kph.
It is considered the most important military parade in the country and is attended by thousands of military personnel and officials.
“We are planning a flight in a traditional formation over Red Square but this year a group of a Tu-160 aircraft escorted by four Su-35 fighters of the Russian Knights aerobatic group has been added,” Alexander Ivashkin, the aerial weapons and tactical training chief of the Aircraft Demonstration Center said on Wednesday.
It is the first time Su-35S multirole fighters will escort a Tu-160 strategic missile-carrying bomber, Russia's TASS news agency reported.
President Vladimir Putin will attend the May 9 parade and will be the keynote speaker in his role as Supreme Commander of the Russian Armed Forces.
Service commanders, military generals and deputy ministers from the Ministry of Defence will also be in attendance at the parade.
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The latest military training day comes as Russia and Ukraine remain at loggerheads after years of conflict, officially beginning in 2014.
Putin has this year moved tens of thousands of troops and heavy military equipment to the border with Ukraine.
Latest on-the-ground videos appear to show heavy armaments on the move in Krasnodar region and naval vessels on the Don River as the Ukraine crisis becomes increasingly hostile.
Russia is also known to be moving landing ships from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea for the first time since the end of the Soviet era.
The military parade rehearsal held on Wednesday was the fifth of its kind since last year's Victory Day parade, which was postponed by just over a month due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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Thousands of cadets and high-ranking officials from the Russian military attend the event including service commanders, military generals and deputy ministers from the Ministry of Defence.
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Last year's parade was postponed to June 24 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Despite that, it drew 13,000 military personnel along with an enormous crowd.
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