Russia to Reportedly Hold Largest Victory Day Parade Since Its Full-Scale Invasion of Ukraine

Russia will reportedly hold the biggest “Victory Day” parade on May 9 since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Agenstvo reported on May 7.

According to the outlet, Moscow held a rehearsal for the air portion of the Victory Day parade on May 5, with the ground portion rehearsed last week.

The rehearsal footage suggests that this year’s parade will be the largest since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. However, according to an analysis by Agenstvo, it will be relatively modest compared to previous anniversary parades.

The footage from the rehearsals shows that at least 184 pieces of equipment, 12 drones, and 15 aircraft will participate in the parade. Only in 2021 was there more military equipment on display, the agency added.

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This year’s anniversary parade will be more modest compared to the 2020 and 2015 parades. For the 75th anniversary, 234 pieces of equipment were displayed on Red Square, with 75 helicopters and aircraft participating. For the 70th anniversary, the parade featured 194 pieces of equipment and 143 air vehicles.

The parade is expected to feature full participation of tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. The rehearsal included 30 tanks, including the T-72B3M, T-80BVM, and T-90M “Breakthrough”. On May 9, 55 armored personnel carriers (APCs) and IFVs will also be present, including the BMP-2M with the “Berezhok” module, BMP-3, BMP “Kurganets-25”, and “Boomerang.” This constitutes one tank and one motorized infantry battalion, according to Conflict Intelligence Team’s analysis.

Agenstvo suggested that such a quantity of armored vehicles has not been seen on Red Square even in the pre-war 2021 parade. In 2024 and 2023, the parade featured only a single rare T-34 tank. The latest T-14 'Armata' tank and the T-15 IFV on the 'Armata' platform were absent from the rehearsal, even though they had regularly participated in parades before the war,” Russian media reports.

On May 6-7, Ukrainian drone strikes triggered large-scale disruptions at Moscow airports, including Vnukovo, the primary hub for receiving foreign delegations ahead of Russia’s planned Victory Day parade.