On 9 May every year, Russia celebrates Victory Day, putting on a large parade in honour of the country’s victory over Nazi Germany 79 years ago - in what remains an important symbol of the country’s national identity.

Russia only had one tank on display during its Victory Day parade this year.

Every year, Moscow wraps itself in patriotic pageantry for Victory Day, a celebration of its victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War.

Today marks the 79th anniversary and Mr Putin addressed the parade in the Red Square, talking up his country’s military capabilities in a speech aimed as much at a foreign audience as a domestic one.

Vladimir Putin used his Victory Day speech this year to try and warn Russia’s combat forces were “always ready” but admitted the country was going through a “difficult period”.

    • partial_accumen
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      4024 days ago

      Isn’t that one of the T-34 tanks Russia had to buy back from the country of Laos some years ago?

    • Admiral Patrick
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      3024 days ago

      I also thought the one, lonely tank seemed familiar (had to check the article date to make sure it was new). Thanks for posting that so I didn’t have to dig up last year’s.

    • HubertManne
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      824 days ago

      ok I did look at your wikipedia page and went to some links for it trying to find this but im sorta curious what was the typical number of tanks before? I know you are unlikely to just know this but worth a try.

      • @Cheradenine@sh.itjust.works
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        24 days ago

        Again, Wikipedia , but in 2020 they had ‘around 250 plus vehicles… and 80-strong (aircraft) flypast.’

        The ‘250 plus’ seems to be armored vehicles, they counted ICBM and intermediate missle launchers separately.

        2023 and 2024, no planes either

          • DdCno1
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            1424 days ago

            That’s what tends to happen when you send a parade army into a war it was never meant to fight.

    • Hubi
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      424 days ago

      Last year there were a couple of T-34s standing on the sidelines, though they may not have been in working order.

  • @DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafe
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    2424 days ago

    Imagine inheriting the corpse of the Soviet Union and having less tanks than literally anyone, much less a nation you’ve invaded out of your weird Tsarist-era port obsession.

  • Flying SquidM
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    2324 days ago

    Russia only had one its only remaining functional tank on display during its Victory Day parade this year.

  • katy ✨
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    2124 days ago

    they’ve been going through a difficult period since 26 March 2000, vladimir.

  • originalucifer
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    1224 days ago

    yeah that conversion to dictatorship is long, hard fight, but apparently worth it. youre almost there, putin!

  • AutoTL;DRB
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    424 days ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:


    Today marks the 79th anniversary and Mr Putin addressed the parade in the Red Square, talking up his country’s military capabilities in a speech aimed as much at a foreign audience as a domestic one.

    Vladimir Putin used his Victory Day speech this year to try and warn Russia’s combat forces were “always ready” but admitted the country was going through a “difficult period”.

    In the parade in Moscow, only one tank was present throughout the entire display - as the country continues to dedicate considerable firepower and resources to its war in Ukraine.

    Earlier this year, Russia began refitting old tanks after losing 3,000 while fighting in Ukraine, according to a leading research centre.

    Moscow lost more than its entire pre-invasion active inventory of tanks in its war with Ukraine, but has enough lower-quality armoured vehicles in storage for years of replacements, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) said.

    Columns of military vehicles and missiles roll across Red Square every year and squadrons of fighter jets roar overhead as medal-bedecked veterans join him to review the parade.


    The original article contains 471 words, the summary contains 179 words. Saved 62%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

  • KillingTimeItself
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    322 days ago

    germany went through all of their t34s guys, dont worry, they’ll have 30000 next year.