Truncated parade in Moscow may reflect Russia’s problems in providing for its troops, - NYT
The annual parade on May 9 in Moscow is traditionally a grand spectacle designed to demonstrate Russia’s military power. This year, however, there was a lot missing.
This is reported by Censor.NET with reference to ZN, in a New York Times article.
For the first time in many years, only one Soviet-era T-34 tank - a symbol of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany - crossed the square, leading a much shorter than usual line of armored vehicles, air defense systems, and intercontinental missile launchers. There were fewer troops marching in carefully choreographed formations and no air force flybys.
"The truncated parade appears to reflect Russia's problems in providing for its troops fighting against Ukraine, especially as Kyiv prepares for an expected counteroffensive aimed at breaching Moscow's fortified defense lines," the New York Times wrote.
Perhaps this modesty was also a response to criticism from some activists and bloggers who support the war against Ukraine, but question the need for a pompous display of military equipment at a time when many Russian military units lack the necessary weapons and supplies. Officials across Russia have also scaled back the annual celebration. More than 20 cities canceled military parades, and organizers canceled the popular nationwide "Immortal Regiment" march. Most often, the cancellations were attributed to security concerns, but some analysts also suggested that it was actually due to the fear of internal unrest.
"A year ago, when Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine was already raging, Red Square, however, hummed with the sounds of engines of the latest tanks, rocket launchers, and artillery systems used on the battlefield in Ukraine. This year, however, there were only a few dozen pieces of equipment, and the part of the parade with the demonstration of armored vehicles turned out to be about half as short as in 2022," New York Times journalists noted.
The total duration of the live broadcast of the parade was also shorter than in previous years, and it was not filmed from the air. Because drones were banned from flying over Moscow after the recent drone strike on the Kremlin.
This year, the annual air show was canceled altogether without any explanation. It was also canceled last year, allegedly due to weather conditions. 30 military units took part in the parade, as opposed to 33 last year, as well as 530 servicemen who fought in Ukraine, the Kremlin said. For some in Russia, this was a relief.
