SEVASTOPOL, May 09. /ITAR-TASS/. Hundreds of thousands people gathered in the streets of hero city Sevastopol, on Nakhimov Square, to watch the Victory Day parade on Friday. Columns of modern military equipment were followed by field kitchens and half-ton WW II trucks.
Despite the morning drizzle and windy weather, people were in a festive mood, and many children were holding the St. George's ribbons and Russian flags. Head of the Black Sea Fleet's coastal troops Major General Alexander Ostrikov commanded the parade.
Ostrikov drove around the battalions lined along the city's central street as color groups carrying Russia's state flag and a copy of Victory Banner marched past.
Black Sea Fleet commander Admiral Alexander Vitko reviewed the troops. Drummers from the junior specialists department of the Sevastopol Garrison's training center opened the parade.
Marching next were cadets of the Black Sea Nakhimov higher naval school, servicemen of the Sevastopol-based anti-submarine brigade, crews of landing ships, patrol boat servicemen, servicemen from naval aviation and Black Sea air defense units and marines.
More than 60 units of military equipment rolled through the city center, including Tigr armoured vehicles, BTR-80 armoured personnel carriers, Grad salvo fire launchers, Rapira 100-mm artillery guns and 152-mm Giatsint guns.
Sevastopol residents and guests also saw 82-mm mortars, Igla portable anti-aircraft systems, Osa mobile air defense launchers, Bastion coastal missile systems and self-propelled control and communication centres.
The parade of the Sevastopol garrison ended in a march of Great Patriotic War veterans.