Western nations boycott event due to standoff over Ukraine
Moscow : Russia on Saturday showcased its new war machines here at a grand parade, marking the 70th anniversary of the country’s victory over Nazi Germany, witnessed by many world leaders including President Pranab Mukherjee, an event boycotted by the Western powers due to a standoff over Ukraine.
Nearly 10,000 soldiers, including an Indian Army contingent and China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), took part in the parade on the iconic Red Square here which lasted for over 90 minutes. The parade on Red Square showcased cutting edge weapons such as the next-generation Armata T-14 tank and advanced military aircraft.
Russian President Vladimir Putin witnessed the parade along with Mukherjee, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and UN Secretary General Ben Ki-moon and several other heads of state.
Taking an apparent swipe at the US, Putin, in his speech to the assembled troops, veterans and guests, said, “In the past decades we have seen attempts to create a unipolar world.” The term “unipolar” is often used by Russia to criticise the United States’ purported aim to dominate world affairs. “We can see how the force bloc-based thinking has been gaining power. That all is undermining the stable international development,” Putin said.
At the parade, military units from across Russia — some dressed in WW2-era uniforms — marched, and more than 100 aircraft flew over Red Square.
[alert type=”e.g. warning, danger, success, info” title=””]
Indian Army men big attraction at Victory Day parade
Moscow: The Indian Army contingent, which on Saturday took part in the Victory Day parade here, was a big attraction among nearly a dozen foreign army contingents and thousands of Russia’s own soldiers for elegantly displaying their military ceremonial drills.
With their decorative ‘safa’ and handlebar moustache, the Indian army men of Grenadiers became the cynosure of the parade and got applause from audience that included war veterans, widows, family members and foreign dignitaries.
[/alert]
