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Russia’s Aerospace Force holds first rehearsal of Victory Day parade

The rehearsal involves 72 combat planes and helicopters

© Sergei Bobylev/TASS

KUBINKA AERODROME (Moscow Region), April 10. /TASS/. The first rehearsal of the airborne part of Victory Parade has started at an airfield in Kubinka outside Moscow.

The rehearsal involves 72 combat planes and helicopters that will fly in a single formation over the Alabino practice range that is identical by its size to Moscow’s Red Square, the Defense Ministry told journalists.

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All the helicopters participating in the Victory Parade have been deployed to the Kubinka aerodrome for the time of the preparations and the parade.

A Mil Mi-26, which is the world’s largest military and transport helicopter, will lead the flying formation in the escort of a quartet of Mi-8 rotocraft. It will be followed by Mi-28N, Mi-35 and Kamov Ka-52 helicopters.

The parade will also involve Tupolev Tu-160 and Tu-95MS strategic missile carriers, Tu-22M3 long-range bombers, Ilyushin Il-78 refueling tanker aircraft, Antonov An-124 and Il-76MD military transport planes, Sukhoi Su-35S, Su-30SM, Su-27, Mikoyan MiG-29, and MiG-31BM fighter jets, Su-34 and Su-24M frontline bombers, Su-25 attack aircraft and Yakovlev Yak-130 combat trainers.

Eight aerodromes in the Moscow, Tver, Bryansk, Saratov, Kaluga, Voronezh, Lipetsk and Nizhny Novgorod Regions have been engaged for the Aerospace Force’s aircraft flights over Red Square at Victory Parade.

MiG-29 and Su-30SM fighter jets operated by pilots of Russia’s aerobatic groups Swifts and Russian Knights are also taking off from Kubinka, aside from the helicopters.

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Spectators can also see a group of six Su-25 planes at the Kubinka aerodrome. These planes traditionally conclude Victory Parade over Red Square emitting the smoke in the colors of the Russian flag.

"Helicopter crews will fly at an altitude of 150 meters and at a speed of 200 km/hr. The crews of tactical, long-range and military transport aircraft will perform flights at an altitude of 300-500 meters and at a speed of about 500 km/hr," the Defense Ministry said.

The group of the aircraft parade formation will perform seven joint training exercises with the foot and vehicular columns at Alabino and also two flights over Red Square. One of the flights will take place on May 7, the day of the parade’s dress rehearsal.

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Russia rehearses for 72nd Victory Day parade

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