What will Russia’s Red Square military parade show? , depth | "5·9" Victory Day is coming

On May 9, local time, Russia will hold a Victory Day military parade in Moscow’s Red Square and other places. This is one of the most solemn festivals of the year for Russians. However, against the background of the postponement of the Ukraine crisis, the number of people and equipment in this year's Red Square military parade have decreased slightly compared with last year.

Some commentators say that Russia is preparing to commemorate the 79th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War in a relatively moderate and streamlined manner. Analysts pointed out that the slight changes in the scale of the military parade are irrelevant. Russia's determination to defend the country and resist external aggression has never changed.

For Russians, Victory Day is a sacred and solemn, happy and sad day.

On May 8, 1945, Germany formally signed an unconditional surrender in the suburbs of Berlin. Due to the time difference, it was already the early morning of the 9th for the Soviet Union when the surrender document took effect. May 9th is designated as the anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Red Army over German fascism.

This victory was hard-won. The Soviet Union paid the lives of more than 27 million soldiers and civilians for it, and almost every family suffered casualties.

After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the Russian State Duma passed a decree in 1995 to permanently commemorate Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War, making May 9 a national holiday. Since then, Russia has held military parades, receptions and other activities on this day every year to celebrate the country.

According to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, this year’s Victory Day military parade will be held in 7 hero cities, including Moscow, and 18 cities where military districts, fleets and armored forces headquarters are located, with a total of about 150,000 people and 2,500 weapons and military equipment. Equipment is involved.

Among them, the Moscow Red Square military parade will have more than 9,000 officers and soldiers and 70 pieces of weapons and equipment. As usual, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, accompanied by Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Salyukov, will review the teams by car. Russian President Vladimir Putin will deliver a Victory Day speech and watch the military parade with many foreign leaders.

Similar to last year, leaders from multiple CIS countries will attend the Red Square military parade, including the Presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Belarus, etc. In addition, Russia also issued special invitations to the leaders of Cuba, Laos and Guinea-Bissau.

The outside world has noticed that compared with last year's parade of about 10,000 officers and soldiers and 125 pieces of equipment, this year's Red Square military parade was more streamlined and compact, which was interpreted as the Russian military focusing its main attention on the front lines of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

"The number of people and equipment participating in the military parade cannot explain the main problem. Russia's determination to defend the country, resist foreign aggression, and win battles has never changed." Sheng Shiliang, an expert on Russian issues, circled the main highlights of this year's Victory Day military parade.

On the eve of the military parade, as a supporting activity for Victory Day, Russia held an exhibition of NATO weapons seized from Ukraine in Moscow's Victory Square, including 32 weapons from 12 countries such as the German "Leopard 2" tank and the US-made "Abrams" main battle tank. tanks and hundreds of weapons and equipment. "This move demonstrates Russia's military capabilities and its lack of fear of Western pressure." Sheng Shiliang pointed out.

At the military parade, "As in previous years, the replica of the Victory Flag planted on the Reichstag in Germany in 1945 will be the first to appear, and the T-34 tank, the meritorious weapon of World War II, will lead the weapons and equipment formation." Sheng Shiliang pointed out, and then the Russian army will Weapons will be displayed in order of light first and then heavy, including infantry fighting vehicles, tanks, self-propelled artillery, tactical missiles, operational missiles, strategic missiles, etc.

Different from conventional operations, the foot phalanx not only includes various arms, sergeant schools, young guards, female soldiers and other teams, but also participants participating in special military operations will march along the Red Square; in terms of weapons and equipment, it is said that the Russian army The new ambulance armored vehicle "Linza" will make its debut. Its maximum speed can reach 105 kilometers per hour, and it can better withstand bullet and shrapnel attacks. It is regarded as an important advancement in battlefield medical support capabilities.

In addition, after the absence of aviation forces in the previous two years, this year, the "Russian Knights" and "Swifts" aviation teams will perform aerobatics over Red Square. Six Su-25 attack aircraft will pull out the three-color smoke symbolizing the Russian flag, drawing a dazzling end to the entire military parade.

Another comment said that the main equipment reviewed this year is similar to last year, and most of them are weapons "far away" from the front line. For example, the "Iskander" tactical missile has a range of up to 500 kilometers; the S-400 "Triumph" air defense missile has a maximum range of up to 400 kilometers and is mainly used for air defense in important areas; the "Yars" strategic missile system is deployed in Russia's deep zone. Therefore, sending these equipment for review will not affect frontline combat readiness and is relatively easy to coordinate.

On the eve of Victory Day, Moscow held a military parade rehearsal near Red Square, attracting a large number of people to stop and watch. According to polls conducted by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center and other institutions, about 80% of Russians are willing to participate in Victory Day commemorations, of which military parades are the most popular; about 65% of Russians believe that Victory Day is the most important holiday.

Why, more than 70 years later, do Russians still have a soft spot for Victory Day compared to other traditional festivals such as New Year and Easter?

"Russians attach more importance to Victory Day than the October Revolution Memorial Day." Sheng Shiliang pointed out that from a historical perspective, the Patriotic War was closer than the October Revolution. It not only involves every household, but also concerns the life and death of the country and nation. Commemorating Victory Day is not only a continuation of historical traditions, but also reflects the common values ​​of Russians who share the same hatred of the enemy, resist foreign enemies, and defend the motherland.

In terms of reality, Sheng Shiliang noticed that in recent years, Russia has paid special attention to patriotic education. Against the background of difficult frontline wars, Russia needs to rally people and unite its people more than ever to resist Western challenges and pressure.

From this perspective, the Victory Day military parade is no longer simply about commemorating the victory of World War II and demonstrating military strength. It is also given a special meaning of paying tribute to the participants of special military operations and mobilizing for the next phase of operations.

In addition, "With the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the weakening of Russia's strength, in recent years, there have been an increase in voices denying the results of the Patriotic War, denying the Soviet Union's anti-fascist contributions, and distorting the history of World War II." Sheng Shiliang pointed out that commemorating Victory Day in Russia will help Russia defends the results of the victory of the Anti-Fascist War and the current international order, and vigorously counters and refutes the above-mentioned erroneous arguments that attempt to tamper with historical memory.

The Victory Day military parade has always been an important stage for Russia's multilateral diplomacy. Russia has used this occasion many times to try to evoke the traditional friendship from the war years and ease relations with the West.

For example, in 1995, on the 50th anniversary of the victory of World War II, then-Russian President Yeltsin invited then-US President Clinton, British Prime Minister John Major and other Western guests to pay homage. Russia did not display nuclear missiles or other deterrent weapons. From 1995 to 2007, Russia's Victory Day Red Square military parade did not display large weapons and equipment on many occasions. In 2010, to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the victory in World War II, Putin hosted then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

However, since the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis in 2014, relations between Russia and the West have declined across the board. Western leaders no longer appear at Russian Victory Day commemorations.

Today, the crisis in Ukraine has been delayed, and the West has not stopped its military aid to Ukraine and is trying to start a war of attrition with Russia. As Victory Day approaches, Russia is still far away from "victory." When the gun salute is fired in Red Square, the gunfire is still rumbling and the smoke is filling the Wudong front line. Due to security concerns, this year's Victory Day military parades were canceled in many places in Russia, and the "Immortal Legion" parade was also cancelled.

"How long will the Russia-Ukraine conflict last?" Sheng Shiliang believes that no one has the answer at the moment. It is said that as early as the end of March 2022, Russia and Ukraine held direct negotiations in Turkey and began to draft a draft peace agreement. However, the battlefield situation is in dynamic change, and future trends still depend on multiple factors, including the U.S. election.

What is certain is that "Ukraine cannot match Russia in terms of population, land, and GDP." Sheng Shiliang pointed out that although the West has made many promises, they are not fulfilled quickly, and it is difficult to alleviate the tension in Ukraine's military strength. As some Russian scholars have said, as long as the West does not come to its own end, Ukraine will probably be brought down in the end.

Just two days before Victory Day, Russian President Vladimir Putin began his fifth term, and his policy direction has attracted much attention.

Internally, key members of the new Russian government are expected to be appointed around the 10th of this month. "It is said that several important positions may be replaced, which may have a certain impact on domestic policies and the Russia-Ukraine conflict." Sheng Shiliang pointed out.

Externally, "Russia's original intention was to resist NATO's eastward expansion, but in the end it was squeezed by NATO's further eastward and northward expansion." Sheng Shiliang said that in the future, what adjustments will Putin make to foreign policy and the confrontation between Russia and the West? How it will evolve is worth watching.