On May 4, Moscow successfully hosted its final nighttime rehearsal for the May 9 Victory Day parade.
On May 4, Moscow successfully hosted its final nighttime rehearsal for the May 9 Victory Day parade.
The two-stage rehearsal began at 10:00 p.m. The first stage ended at about an hour later. The rehearsal resumed after a brief respite.
This time, troops and military equipment paraded as they will on May 9. Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov inspected the troops by car.
After the Kremlin chimes struck 10:00 p.m., a squad carrying the legendary Victory Banner, the Russian state flag and the banners of the Red Army fronts appeared near the Kremlin Wall. Soldiers dressed in World War II uniforms marched past, followed by military units from former Soviet republics including
Kyrgyzstan …
Kyrgyzstan …
… and Belarus.
Allied military units subsequently marched through Red Square – first the United States…
…then British soldiers from the First Battalion of the Welsh Guards.
They were followed by parade details representing each military service branch.
The rehearsal’s mechanized stage involved more than 150 pieces of military equipment.
Driving across Red Square were: a Topol-M (SS-27 Sickle B) intercontinental ballistic missile launcher…
…T-34/85 tanks…
…and TOS-1A heavy flamethrowers.
Red Square will host another dress rehearsal involving military aircraft on the morning of May 6.
