How does Russia’s scaled-back 2023 Victory Day parade compare to previous years?
Soldiers marching through the streets of Moscow, armoured vehicles rolling across Red Square and a rallying cry from Vladimir Putin talking of the West’s “real war”.
On the surface, Russia’s Victory Day parade may have seemed like business as usual – despite reports beforehand that it was set to be scaled back over security fears.
But the numbers tell a different story.
With just over 50 vehicles on display, the usually-impressive procession was just a quarter of its usual size in terms of tanks, transporters and missile carriers.
There was also no traditional flyover from Russia’s airforce.
Instead, this year’s parade was led through Red Square by a single tank – a far cry from the usual display of military might often displayed on Victory Day.
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Only one tank was involved in this year’s Victory Day parade. Pic: AP
Vehicles moving towards Red Square for 2023’s Victory Day parade. Pic: AP
As is the tradition on the day that marks Russia’s victory over Nazi Germany, that tank was a Second World War-era T-34-85 flying the Soviet Red Flag.
But in previous years, the T-34-85 would have been followed by a large column of modern-day fighting vehicles, including Russia’s prized T-14 Armata and T-90 tanks.
Not this year – a year in which Russia has suffered significant losses following its February 2022 invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.
MSTA-S self-propelled howitzers during the 2019 Victory Day parade
Russian T-72B3M main battle tanks during Victory Day in 2021
Russian T-72B3M main battle tanks during Victory Day in 2021
Russian Buk-M3 missile systems on Victory Day in 2022
Analysts believe just 51 vehicles were involved in the 2023 procession.
That is a quarter of the 200 pieces of military hardware that rolled through the streets of Moscow in 2020 when Russia marked the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
Even last year – just months after Russia invaded Ukraine – the number of vehicles involved was as high as 131 vehicles – around the same as the pre-COVID 2019 event.
According to one independent analyst, Oliver Alexander, this year’s parade is the first year that he has not seen an official graphic detailing the procession.
However, using Russia’s carefully curated broadcast of the procession, he was able to spot a total of 51 vehicles.
Russia’s only tank on display on Victory Day in 2023, at the head of the procession. Pic: AP
Russian BMP-2M, BMP-3 and BMP Kurganets infantry fighting vehicles on Victory Day in 2022
Among them were several Tigr-Ms – a 4×4 infantry mobility vehicle used to move troops and carry out patrols.
Mr Alexander also counted 10 Remdiesel Z-STS Akhmat MRAPs – armoured vehicles which he said were only used by forces from Chechnya.
Missile launchers and air defence units were also included in the parade – as is tradition.
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However, according to Mr Alexander, there were no short-range air defences and no Russian Airborne Forces (also known as VDV), who were heavily involved in the early stages of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The traditional Victory Day flyover – involving Russia’s Su-30SM, Su-34 and Su-35S combat aircraft flying in formation – was also cancelled in advance.
Su-30SM, Su-34 and Su-35S combat aircraft fly in formation for the 2020 Victory Day flyover
One section of the procession that did not appear to change however is the appearance of three RS-24 YARS – Russia’s thermonuclear armed intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Three of the large missile units were on display this year, as they were in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
More than 100 politicians from 24 different countries, including the UK, the US and the EU, have written a joint letter condemning China over the “arbitrary detention and unfair trial” of Jimmy Lai, a tycoon and pro-democracy campaigner.
The parliamentarians, led by senior British Conservative MP Alicia Kearns, are “urgently” demanding the immediate release of the 77-year-old British citizen, who has been held in solitary confinement at a maximum security prison in Hong Kong for almost four years.
The letter – which will be embarrassing for Beijing – was made public on the eve of Mr Lai’s trial resuming and on the day after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of a G20 summit of economic powers in Brazil.
It also comes as Hong Kong jailed 45 pro-democracy activists.
The group of politicians, who also include representatives from Canada, Australia, Spain, Germany, Ukraine and France, said Mr Lai’s treatment was “inhumane”.
“He is being tried on trumped-up charges arising from his peaceful promotion of democracy, his journalism and his human rights advocacy,” they wrote in the letter, which has been seen by Sky News.
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“The world is watching as the rule of law, media freedom and human rights in Hong Kong are eroded and undermined.
“We stand together in our defence of these fundamental freedoms and in our demand that Jimmy Lai be released immediately and unconditionally.”
Sir Keir raised the case of Mr Lai during remarks released at the start of his talks with Mr Xi on Monday – the first meeting between a British prime minister and the Chinese leader in six years.
The prime minister could be heard expressing concerns about reports of Mr Lai’s deteriorating health. However, he did not appear to call for his immediate release.
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Ms Kearns, the MP for Rutland and Stamford in the East Midlands, said the meeting had been an opportunity to be unequivocal that the UK expects Mr Lai to be freed.
“Jimmy Lai is being inhumanely persecuted for standing up for basic human values,” she said in a statement, released alongside the letter.
“He represents the flame of freedom millions seek around the world.
“We have a duty to fight for Jimmy Lai as a British citizen, and to take a stand against the Chinese Community Party’s erosion of rule of law in Hong Kong.
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“This letter represents the strength of international feeling and commitment of parliamentarians globally to securing Jimmy Lai’s immediate release and return to the UK with his family.”
Mr Lai was famously the proprietor of the Chinese-language newspaper Apple Daily in Hong Kong, which wrote scathing reports about the local authorities and the communist government in mainland China after Britain handed back the territory to Beijing in 1997.
The tabloid was a strong supporter of pro-democracy protesters who took to the streets of Hong Kong to demonstrate against the government in 2019.
But the media mogul was arrested the following year – one of the first victims of a draconian new security law imposed by the Chinese Communist Party.
His newspaper was closed after his bank accounts were frozen.
Mr Lai has since been convicted of illegal assembly and fraud. He is now on trial for sedition over articles published in Apple Daily.
World
Hong Kong jails 45 pro-democracy activists after accusing them of trying to overthrow the city’s government
Forty-five pro-democracy activists have been jailed in Hong Kong’s largest ever national security trial.
The activists sentenced with jail terms ranging from four years to ten years were accused of conspiracy to commit subversion after holding an unofficial primary election in Hong Kong in 2020.
They were arrested in 2021.
Hong Kong authorities say the defendants were trying to overthrow the territory’s government.
Democracy activist Benny Tai received the longest sentence of ten years. He became the face of the movement when thousands of protesters took to the city’s streets during the “Umbrella Movement” demonstrations.
However, Hong Kong officials accused him of being behind the plan to organise elections to select candidates.
Tai had pleaded guilty, his lawyers argued he believed his election plan was allowed under the city’s Basic Law.
Another prominent activist Joshua Wong received a sentence of more than four years.
Joshua Wong was sentenced to more than four years Pic: AP
Wong became one of the leading figures in the protests. His activism started as a 15 year old when he spearheaded a huge rally against a government plan to change the school curriculum.
Then in 2019 Hong Kong erupted in protests after the city’s government proposed a bill that would allow extradition to mainland China. It peaked in June 2019 when Amnesty International reported that up to two million people marched on the streets, paralysing parts of Hong Kong’s business district.
The extradition bill was later dropped but it had ignited a movement demanding political change and freedom to elect their own leaders in Hong Kong.
China’s central government called the protests “riots” that could not continue.
Hong Kong introduced a national security law in the aftermath of the protests.
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A woman is taken away by police outside the court Pic: Reuters
The US has called the trial “politically motivated”.
Dozens of family and friends of the accused were waiting for the verdict outside the West Kowloon Magistrates Court.
British citizen and media mogul Jimmy Lai is due to testify on Wednesday.
Meeting on the sidelines of the G20 in Brazil, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told China’s President Xi Jinping he’s concerned about the health of Lai.
He faces charges of fraud and the 2019 protests. He has also been charged with sedition and collusion with foreign forces.
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