![]() But that will do little to quell fears, as Peskov also routinely predicted there would be no war in Ukraine right before Putin ordered his troops in. Officially declaring war would allow the Kremlin to take measures such as a general mobilisation of the population into the armed forces, which would be difficult to justify for a 'special operation'.ĭmitry Peskov, Putin's official spokesman, denied any such plans today - saying there is 'no chance' of it happening. Though Russia's attack on Ukraine is widely viewed as a war, Putin has described it as a 'special military operation' to his own people. Russia has long-marked the day Hitler's Germany surrendered with solemn events, but in recent years Putin has turned the day into a tub-thumping shows of nationalistic pride designed to project an image of strength to Russians, their allies and their enemies alike.īut as the war in Ukraine has faltered that mask has started to slip, leading some observers to predict that Putin may resort to a provocation to achieve a semblance of victory - such as declaring the city of Kherson to be independent - or to ramp up his rhetoric by openly declaring war. Most of the parade will instead be made up of Russia's next-generation weaponry that it has spent years developing and equipping with the latest technology, but which it has never produced in large-enough numbers to put into battle across its western border.Ī Tupolev Tu-95 strategic bomber - which is capable of carrying nukes - flies in formation alongside Su-35S fighters during Victory Day parade rehearsals in Moscow today Rosgvardia units - known as Putin's personal army - will also be reduced in this year's parade, having been heavily used in early stages of the fighting and having suffered crippling losses. Most notably, the parade will feature far fewer combat-ready systems than it did in previous years - particularly when it comes to rocket artillery and tanks, both of which have taken heavy losses in Ukraine. Just 131 vehicles will parade past the Kremlin, a third fewer than the 197 vehicles that took part in 2021 and a little less than half the 234 that featured in 2020. ![]() The additional aircraft mean the air display will actually be slightly larger than in previous years, with 77 jet as opposed to 76 in 2021 and 75 in 2020 - however, the ground element of the parade will be noticeably smaller. ![]() It will also feature a formation of Soviet-era Tu-22M jets that did not take part in the 2021 display. Instead, the display will be bulked up with older Su and MiG models. The aerial display will also not feature any combat-ready Su-30 or Su-34 jets, because they are also in use in Ukraine with many Su-34s having been shot from the skies. In the case of the Ka-52, a large number have also been shot down with open-source analyst Oliver Alexander estimating that Russia has lost 10 per cent of its total fleet. The aerial display will feature just three Ka-52 and Mi-28 helicopters - compared to five each in 20 - because they are providing the mainstay of Russian helicopter forces in Ukraine.
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