With tensions soaring between Russia and the West, more than twelve thousand troops and 190 pieces of military hardware moved across the Red Square in a parade commemorating the seventy-sixth anniversary of the Red Army’s victory over Nazi Germany.  

Established in 1945, the tradition of the Moscow Victory Day Parade was inherited by post-Soviet Russia and vastly expanded in scope and frequency to become one of the country’s landmark annual events. According to recent polling, over two-thirds of Russians now view Victory Day as the most important national holiday.

The opening ceremony was followed by a pointed address from Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, decrying "attempts to rewrite history, to justify traitors and criminals, on whose hands lies the blood of hundreds of thousands of peaceful people." Putin, who wrote about the historical issues surrounding the outbreak of World War II last year, warned that Nazi ideas persist onto the present day. “Unfortunately, many of the ideologies of the Nazis, those who were obsessed with the delusional theory of their exclusiveness are again trying to be put into service,” he said.  

Over twelve thousand service members, spread across dozens of columns reflecting a wide swathe of Russia’s armed forces and auxiliary organizations, marched in the parade. The mobile consisted of Russian military staples and new additions alike. The mobile column was led by a historical contingent of T-34/85 models, introduced as the “best tanks of the Great Patriotic War” in recognition of their undisputed contribution to the Soviet war effort on the Eastern Front. The contemporary hardware included the prolific BMP-2 and BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), as well as the modernized Kurganets-25 IFV platform and Uran-9 unmanned combat ground vehicle (UCGV). No less prominently showcased was the Armata family of heavy armored vehicles, including the cutting-edge T-14 Armata main battle tank (MBT) and T-15 Armata heavy IFV. Also making an appearance was a column of updated T-90M models, as well as the T-80BVM and T-72B3M—both recent revisions to Soviet-era MBT platforms.

The parade’s artillery pieces notably included the new Tornado-S rocket launcher and Koalitsiya-SV and Msta-S self-propelled howitzers. The missile component was represented by the S-400 missile defense system and the many other surface-to-air missile systems (SAMs) designed to operate alongside it; the latter includes variants of the Tor-M2, Buk-M3, and Pantsir-S systems. Also present was Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile system and RS-24 Yars ICBM.

This year’s flypast column was introduced by military helicopters including the Berkuts Mi-28N aerobatics demonstrator team, followed by a Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bomber that was escorted by a wing of Su-35S fighter jets. A MiG-31K interceptor, modified to carry Russia’s new Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missile, likewise made an appearance. Four Su-57 fifth-generation fighter aircraft flew toward the event of the flypast, which was closed by six Su-25BM fighters painting the sky with the Russian tri-color.  

Unlike its prior iterations, the 2021 Victory Day parade was not marked by a substantial presence of foreign leaders. The Kremlin says it did not send out special invitations to foreign heads because the 76th anniversary is not a “jubilee year.”  The only such attendee in the 2021 parade was Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon, who likewise participated in the wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier. Rahmon’s visit comes amid renewed turmoil in Central Asia, following Kyrgyz-Tajik border clashes and the Biden administration’s announced troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. The pullout has Washington looking for a new regional base, with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan emerging as the two likeliest candidates.  

Mark Episkopos is a national security reporter for the National Interest. 

Image: Reuters