Vladimir Putin was ridiculed at Russia’s meager victory parade with only one tank.
Cannon salutes and the Russian national anthem were heard over Red Square, but there was little display of military equipment and no aviation. Only one tank showed the impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine on the Kremlin’s military resources.
Despite the reduction in combat, Putin said Russians were united in a “sacred” fight with the West for a victorious Ukraine, and accused the US and its allies of forgetting the Soviet victory over the Nazis in World War II. I did ,
An 83-year-old relic, the T-34 has traditionally been an annual show of force because of its symbolic role in helping Russia defeat Nazi Germany.
However, Soviet-era tanks are usually accompanied by more modern fighting machines to fully showcase Moscow’s military prowess.
Viewers around the world took to social media to mock the Kremlin leader.
One user commented, “Only one tank was featured in the Victory Day parade this year! Putin’s traditional show of power has served to expose Russia’s weaknesses.”
Another said: “If Putin is crying… it’s because this is his last tank.”
“No tanks, no planes, no helicopters, nothing… Putin is leaving now. It’s a real shame for Russia,” said a third person.
According to military analyst Oliver Alexander, Russia had to borrow 10 Remdiesel Amat Z-STS from Ramzan Kadyrov to participate in the parade.
He added: “Ukraine has no reason to parade anything. The Russians may embarrass themselves.”
“I’m surprised they didn’t drag one of the T-14s to the parade.”
Last year, the conventional T-34 came alongside Russia’s two latest battle tanks, the T-14 Armata and the T-74, both of which were seen on the battlefield in Ukraine.
Russia is desperately trying to make up for its tank shortfall by pulling older models from deep storage to be shipped across its borders.
According to local media reports, only 10 different weapons systems were on display at Tuesday’s parade, and the aerial portion, which usually consists of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, was canceled entirely.
At Tuesday’s parade, Russia fielded its lowest number of troops since 2008.
Only 8,000 soldiers marched across Red Square. This is less than the 2020 Victory Day parade, which was held six weeks later due to the raging Covid pandemic. Last year, 11,000 soldiers took part in the Moscow parade.
No Western leaders attended Tuesday’s parade, which was cut short by Russia less than a week after Ukraine attacked the Kremlin with two drones to kill Putin. Kiev denied any involvement.
Vladimir Putin said that the “Western global elite” is sowing Russophobia and aggressive nationalism, and that the Ukrainian people have become hostages of “state coups” and Western ambitions.
Putin said the memory of World War II is sacred and paid tribute to those who fought against the Nazis, including China’s fight against Japan and American and British soldiers.
“We want to see a peaceful, free and stable future,” Putin said. He said that monuments to Soviet soldiers are being destroyed in many countries.
“We have defeated international terrorism, we will protect the people of Donbass (eastern Ukraine) and we will ensure our security.
He did not comment on the challenges Russia faces as it prepares or paves the way for an expected large-scale Ukrainian counteroffensive.