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68 planes and helicopters to fly over Red Square during parade

On May 9, there will be 17 groups of the Air Force in the sky over the capital's main square

MOSCOW, April 25 (Itar-Tass) – Sixty eight planes and helicopters of the Russian Air Force will fly over Red Square on May 9 during the military parade marking the 68th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the Ground Troop's Commander in Chief, commander of the parade Vladimir Chirkin said on Thursday

"On May 9, there will be 17 groups of the Air Force in the sky over the capital's main square. Each of them will be unique for its formation difficulty," the commander said.

Su-24, Su-25, Su-27, Su-34, MiG-29, MiG-31, An-22, An-124, Il-76, Il-78, A-50, Tu-22M3, Tu-95 and Tu-160 planes and Mi-8, Mi-26, Mi-28 and Ka-52 helicopters will fly in the united Air Force formation over Red Square. Thus, almost all the types of planes and helicopters that are in service in the country's Air Force will be represented in the parade.

The aircraft will fly over the parade ground in Alabino near Moscow in the planned training on April 26, the Ground Troop’s spokesman Anton Goncharov told Itar-Tass. The planes and helicopters are also expected to participate in the final rehearsal of the Victory Parade on May 7.

In 2011 and 2012, only five Mi-8 helicopters represented the Air Force in the Victory Parade. They carried the Russian flag and the flags of the Defence Ministry, the Ground Troops, the Air Force and the Navy over Red Square.