MOSCOW, June 22. /TASS/. Spectators of the Victory Parade on June 24 will be able to see three types of Pantsyr anti-aircraft missile/gun systems roll across Red Square, Russia’s Land Forces Commander-in-Chief Army General Oleg Salyukov said in an open interview with TASS First Deputy Director General Mikhail Gusman on Monday.
Russia’s Defense Ministry has given preference to the models that have not been unveiled to the public yet. The ministry started determining the structure of the mechanized column a year before holding the jubilee parade. This year, over 20 weapon systems will roll across Moscow’s Red Square for the first time, the army general said.
"The T-90M ‘Proryv’ tank is a very interesting vehicle and the T-80BVM tank with a gas turbine engine will roll through for the first time. Various modifications of infantry fighting vehicles with the Epokha and Kinzhal combat modules will take part," Salyukov said.
"Speaking about the missile forces, Tornado-S multiple launch rocket systems will take part and we can note S-350 ‘Vityaz’ [battlefield air defense] missile systems and S-300V4 [anti-aircraft missile] launchers of the Aerospace Force. I must note that we will feature an absolutely new vehicle that has never been demonstrated before - the Pantsyr-SM. We will feature three types of Pantsyrs: the Pantsyr-SM, the standard Pantsyr and the Arctic version," he said.
The military parade on Moscow’s Red Square on June 24 devoted to the 75th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War will consist of the foot and mechanized columns and the air component. The foot and mechanized columns will also feature historical elements of the period of the Great Patriotic War.
Russia postponed its military parade traditionally held on Moscow’s Red Square on May 9 for a later date due to the coronavirus pandemic.
At a video conference with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on May 26, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that the anticipated Victory Parade would be held on Moscow’s Red Square on June 24.
The head of state explained he had chosen this date because June 24 was the day when in 1945 the legendary historic parade of victors took place, when soldiers, who fought for Moscow and defended Leningrad, who stood their ground for Stalingrad, liberated Europe and stormed Berlin, marched on Red Square.
The Russian president instructed the defense chief to make sure that there weren’t any risks to the health of the military parade’s participants.