Russian Su-25 fighter jets fly over St. Basil's Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow during a Victory Day parade Sunday. Troops from four NATO states marched through the square for the first time as Russia marked the 65th anniversary of victory in World War II with its biggest military parade since the collapse of the Soviet Union. (Photo: AFP)
Russia staged the biggest military parade in its history Sunday on Red Square, featuring more than 10,000 personnel and some of the most advanced weaponry in the world, to mark the 65th an-niversary of the allied victory in World War II over Nazi Germany.
Chinese analysts said the parade, which cost more than 1 billion rubles ($33 million), was Russia's latest attempt to refurnish the ex-Soviet Union's contributions to WWII, commonly known as the Great Patriotic War in Russia. The analysts also said it was meant to showcase the country's latest military weaponry against the backdrop of an economic slowdown.
The one-hour parade started at 10 am Moscow time (0600 GMT) when Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and Moscow Military District Commander Valery Gerasimov inspected and saluted the troops.
Chinese President Hu Jintao was among 24 world leaders, such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the heads of state of almost all the ex-Soviet nations, at the parade. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who fought a brief war with Russia in August 2008, was not invited.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev addressed the participants and guests present at the parade.
"Sixty-five years ago, Nazism was defeated, and a machine that was exterminating whole peoples was halted," Medvedev said. "There was blood and tears. There was one choice - either victory or to become slaves. The war made us a strong nation."
Ten Mi-8 helicopters participated in a fly-by at the parade, pulling banners that said "65" and "Victory."
