Tanks, missiles and Soviet-style military parades returned to Red Square for today’s celebration of the 63rd anniversary of the end of World War II:
MOSCOW (AP) — Missiles, tanks and other heavy weaponry rolled through Moscow’s Red Square in the annual Victory Day parade Friday, reviving a tradition of the Soviet era and demonstrating Russia’s growing military confidence.
Victory Day, marking the defeat of Nazi Germany, is Russia’s most important secular holiday, both honoring the enormous sacrifices of World War II, in which nearly 9 million Red Army soldiers are estimated to have died, and asserting the country’s military strength.
Russia has nearly quadrupled its defense spending in recent years, aiming to resuscitate the military forces that deteriorated in the post-Soviet period.
Topol missiles, which have the capacity to carry nuclear warheads, were part of the display of more than 100 tanks, mobile missile units and armored vehicles that was aimed at underlining the military revival. But many of the heavy weapons shown were only slightly modernized versions of equipment developed decades ago.
Although the display was significantly smaller than in Soviet-era parades, the return of the tradition has raised concerns that Russia harbors aggressive ambitions.
Gee, do you think ? What is it that could possible raise those concerns ?
Could it be the big ballistic missile ?
The tanks ?
Or maybe the MIGs ?
Or perhaps the strange reappearance of a flag representing a country that died in 1991 ?
Nope, nothing to worry about here.
May 9th, 2008 at 10:33 am
I think they had to borrow the missile back from Hollywood, you know, Spies Like Us; isn’t that the same prop used in the movie?
May 10th, 2008 at 2:34 am
Nothing to be scared. And actually that “strange reappearance of a flag representing a country that died in 1991″ is an official banner of the Victory Day. I think (may be I’m not correct) it’s just the banner of the division that first entered Berlin. But I’ve never seen this Czar style dresses till now. It’s something new.
May 10th, 2008 at 3:19 am
Nope, they had about 5 missles like that in the parade, I saw it. And that flag actually represents the one that the Soviet infantry put up on top of the Reichstag, nothing strange there.