The apparent diversion of basic military equipment in the battles in Ukraine was seized by the Ukrainian President as proof that the Russian army has been severely exhausted by the two-month war. “Yes, they still have missiles to hit our territory, but this war has already weakened Russia so much that they have to design even less military equipment for the parade in Moscow,” said Volodymyr Zelensky. He said that since the start of the war in late February, Russia has lost more than 1,000 tanks, 2,500 infantry fighting vehicles and nearly 200 aircraft. He also claimed that Russia had lost more than 23,000 troops since the invasion began. These data have not been independently verified. President Zelensky said that despite the heavy losses, Russia still has many missiles and artillery with which it can strike Ukrainian forces.
Fears of mass mobilization of Russians
The Victory Parade in Moscow will include 33 marching columns of Russian soldiers, security personnel and students, according to the Ministry of Defense. The aerial element of the ceremony will include 77 aircraft, from stealth fighters to long-range bombers. Eight MiG fighter jets will fly in the form of the letter Z, which has become the symbol of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace recently said that President Vladimir Putin could use the occasion of the Victory Parade in Red Square to announce the mass mobilization of Russians for the conflict, including mobilization to strengthen the army. He suggested that Putin could declare that “we are now at war with the Nazis of the world and we must mobilize the Russian people en masse.” This would mean the end of his insistence that the invasion is tantamount to a “special military operation.”
