Moscow is already preparing for the May 9 parade: 10,000 soldiers and 125 vehicles, Putin’s speech and one foreign president | Ukraine and Russia war

On May 9, Victory Day is celebrated in Russia: the victory of the former Soviet Union over Nazi Germany. It is the most important national holiday in the country.

This year, Red Square in Moscow will be closed exceptionally early for preparations. Closed to the public from April 27 to May 10. The construction of the stands started last weekend, and there will also be disruptions tonight due to the first rehearsals for the show.

It is expected that its number will reach 10 thousand soldiers and 125 military vehicles on May 9 itself, according to the Russian business newspaper “Vedomosti”. This number is in line with last year, but it is much lower than in previous years. After all, a significant part of the military equipment at the front is in Ukraine.

It is not specified whether there will be an air show this year. It was canceled last year, officially due to bad weather, even though it was a nice, dry day on May 9th.

What we definitely won’t see this time is the Immortal Regiment’s parade. This is an offer for the relatives of soldiers who fell in World War II. Participants upload photos of their deceased loved ones. The war in Ukraine may also have something to do with it. Moscow is said to fear the presence of families of people who lost loved ones at the front in Ukraine.

President Putin will give a speech like last year. Press spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed this to the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti yesterday. Last year’s speech was eagerly awaited because it was the first since the invasion of Ukraine and there were fears of a general mobilization or declaration of war, but no significant announcements were made.

look. Integrated: Putin’s speech on May 9 last year

According to Peskov, like last year, no foreign leaders were invited, officially because it is the 77th anniversary and not a “round date”. Only the President of Kyrgyzstan – Sadir Zabrov – will attend because he was on a state visit to Moscow during that period.

In at least two border regions of Russia – Kursk and Belgorod – the May 9 parade will not take place this year. This was announced earlier. Officially “for security reasons”, but according to experts, not only are there fears of attacks from Ukraine, but there is not enough military equipment.