President Putin Orders to Hold Victory Day Parade on 24 June

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Tuesday that Victory Day parades would be held in Moscow and other cities on 24 June.

"I order preparations to begin for the military parade marking the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War in the capital of Russia and in other cities. We will do this on 24 June - the day when [in 1945] the legendary parade took place in Red Square, held by servicemen who fought for Moscow and defended Leningrad, fought for Stalingrad, liberated Europe, and seized Berlin", he stated after a meeting with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.

According to the Russian president, the military should maintain the highest levels of safety in order to eliminate any risks to the participants.

On 9 May, the Russian military held aerial parades in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other cities, while authorities promised to hold the main event later, after the danger posed by the coronavirus infection recedes.

Russia has so far confirmed over 362,000 cases of COVID-19, with over half of them in Moscow. At the same time, the country has managed to maintain a low death rate, with 3,807 fatalities, while the number of those who have recovered has exceeded 131,000.