Russia V-Day parade raises questions about military capabilities, supplies

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

RUSSIA HELD ITS 79TH ANNUAL VICTORY DAY PARADE IN MOSCOW THURSDAY TO MARK THE SOVIET UNION’S ROLE IN DEFEATING NAZI GERMANY IN WORLD WAR TWO. 

IN A SCALED DOWN CEREMONY A WORLD WAR II-ERA TANK, 9,000 TROOPS INCLUDING VETERANS FROM UKRAINE, 61 WEAPON SYSTEMS, AND 15 COMBAT AIRCRAFT WERE DISPLAYED IN MOSCOW’S RED SQUARE, WHERE OFFICIALS ACCUSED THE WEST OF FUELING GLOBAL CONFLICTS.

DURING HIS SPEECH IN RED SQUARE, WITH NUCLEAR-CAPABLE INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILES ON DISPLAY, PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN PRAISED HIS TROOPS’ EFFORTS IN UKRAINE AND EMPHASIZED RUSSIA’S NUCLEAR STRENGTH, SAYING,

“Russia will do everything to avert a global confrontation. At the same time, we will not allow anyone to threaten us. Our strategic forces are always combat ready.”

PUTIN ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED THAT RUSSIA WAS GOING THROUGH A “DIFFICULT PERIOD” AS THE “FUTURE OF THE MOTHERLAND DEPENDS ON US”.

RECENT SATELLITE IMAGERY REPORTS SHOW THAT NEARLY A THIRD OF RUSSIA’S ARMORED FIGHTING VEHICLES ARE NO LONGER IN STORAGE — POTENTIALLY POINTING TO DIFFICULTIES MOSCOW IS HAVING REPLENISHING THEIR STOCK.

ACCORDING TO UKRAINE’S GENERAL STAFF — RUSSIA’S VEHICLE LOSSES HAVE ESCALATED DUE TO INTENSE FIGHTING AROUND DONETSK —DROPPING MORE THAN 30-PERCENT.

THE MOST SIGNIFICANT LOSSES INCLUDE THE MT-LB — A SOVIET ERA ARMORED VEHICLE — WITH ONLY 922 LEFT FROM THE 25-HUNDRED OF ITS PRE-WAR STOCK.

DURING RUSSIA’S VICTORY DAY PARADE ONLY ONE TANK WAS ON DISPLAY — ACCORDING TO A DUTCH INTELLIGENCE DEFENSE ANALYSIS — 2-THOUSAND TANKS HAVE BEEN DESTROYED SINCE THE START OF THE WAR.

AS PUTIN CONTINUES HIS PUSH TO TAKE OVER NEIGHBORING UKRAINE RELATIONS WITH EUROPEAN COUNTRIES CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE.

THE UK HAS LONG ACCUSED RUSSIA OF TARGETED KILLINGS, ESPIONAGE, CYBERATTACKS ON BRITISH PARLIAMENTARIANS, AND LEAKING SENSITIVE INFORMATION TO FURTHER RUSSIAN INTERESTS.

IN RESPONSE, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT RECENTLY EXPELLED A RUSSIAN COLONEL FOR BEING AN “UNDECLARED MILITARY INTELLIGENCE OFFICER,” REVOKED THE DIPLOMATIC STATUS OF SEVERAL RUSSIAN PROPERTIES SUSPECTED OF SERVING INTELLIGENCE PURPOSES, AND IMPOSED NEW RESTRICTIONS ON RUSSIAN DIPLOMATIC VISAS.

UK HOME SECRETARY, JAMES CLEVERLY, SAYS THE MOVES TARGET THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT’S “RECKLESS AND DANGEROUS” ACTIVITIES ACROSS EUROPE.

JAMES CLEVERLY
UK HOME SECRETARY
“There is a much broader pattern of Russian maligned activity across Europe. These include plans for sabotage activities against military aid for Ukraine, in Germany and in Poland, espionage in Bulgaria, and in Italy, cyber attacks and disinformation activities, airspace violations and GPS jamming with an impact on civil aviation.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

LAST MONTH, A BRITISH MAN FACED CHARGES FOR ALLEGEDLY RECRUITING OTHERS TO COMMIT ARSON AT A UKRAINIAN-LINKED PROPERTY IN LONDON, AIMED AT AIDING RUSSIA. ON WEDNESDAY, A RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON DISMISSED THE UK’S CLAIMS OF RUSSIAN INVOLVEMENT IN THE ATTACK AS ABSURD AND ACCUSED BRITAIN OF ENGAGING IN AN INFORMATION WAR.