Russia holds grand military parade on Red Square

President Putin delivers opening speech at parade

At 10:06, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu inspected the parade. Minister Shoigu is responsible for supervising today's parade in Red Square.

From the car with the license plate 0001.MO77, Minister Shoigu greeted the naval and air force units of the Western Military District, as well as the strategic missile forces, railway mobile troops, the Chemical and Biological Protection Corps, the National Guard troops, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Russian Security Service, as well as members of the Yunarmiya movement taking part in the parade.

Parade scene on Red Square

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu inspects the parade

After completing the inspection of the parade team, Minister Shoigu moved to the center of the podium to report to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian armed forces.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) watches the parade

The parade officially began at 10:00 a.m. this morning, Russia time, or 2:00 p.m. Vietnam time.

At exactly 10 o'clock, the bell on Red Square rang, marking the start of the parade. The flag of the Russian Federation and the legendary Victory Banner were solemnly carried into Red Square by the soldiers of the 154th Honor Guard Battalion.

President Vladimir Putin arrives at the parade

At Red Square at this time, all final preparations for the parade were completed.

Before the large-scale parade took place on Red Square, small-scale parades began taking place in a number of Russian cities, including the Far Eastern city of Vladivostok.

The RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile system appeared at the Victory Day parade in 2017. (Photo: Sputnik)

The parade in Red Square is scheduled to take place at 10am on May 9th local time (early this afternoon Vietnam time) and will be broadcast live. The parade is divided into three main parts: an infantry parade, a display of armored vehicles, and then a display of combat aircraft and helicopters.

It is estimated that the parade will involve about 13,000 soldiers along with 150 military equipment and 73 Russian combat aircraft and helicopters.

Modern weapons that will appear in the parade are expected to include the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter jet, the BMPT-72 Terminator-2 armored vehicle, the Kinzhal hypersonic missile, the T-14 Armata tank, the RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile, and the S-400 air defense system.