Russian Victory Day 'Aerial Military Parade' Canceled Due to Severe Weather

On the 9th (local time), the 77th anniversary of the end of World War II (Russia's Victory Day), a military honor guard led a parade in Vladivostok, Russia. Victory Day commemorates May 9, 1945, when the former Soviet Union accepted the surrender of Nazi Germany during World War II.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Russia planned to hold an aerial military parade featuring fighter jets and bombers to mark the 77th anniversary of the end of World War II (Russia's Victory Day), but it was abruptly canceled due to severe weather.

The Kremlin announced on the 9th (local time) that "the aerial parade will not take place due to weather issues." The air force parade, in which dozens of various military aircraft fly in formation over Red Square, usually takes place at the end of the Victory Day military parade. Local media also reported that the aerial parade was canceled due to bad weather.

Originally, a total of 77 fighter jets, bombers, and aerial refueling aircraft were scheduled to participate in the aerial military parade to mark the 77th anniversary of victory. In particular, this year, the Ilyushin (IL)-80 command and control plane, known as the 'Doomsday' command center, was expected to appear for the first time in 12 years.

Developed in the 1980s, the IL-80 can withstand nuclear explosions and serves as an airborne command center for the president and military leadership in case ground command and control facilities are destroyed. Additionally, eight MiG-29SMT fighter jets were planned to fly in the shape of the letter Z, symbolizing the Ukrainian 'special military operation,' but all flights were canceled.

Meanwhile, about 130 military vehicles and 11,000 soldiers participated in the parade held from 10 a.m. that day. Advanced air defense missile systems such as the S-400, the RS-24 'Yars' intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), and the 'Iskander' short-range ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads passed through Red Square.

Among these, the Yars, first deployed in 2010, is regarded as an ICBM capable of penetrating the U.S. missile defense system (MD), and the Iskander is classified as a short-range tactical ballistic missile capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.