2018 Moscow Victory Day Parade

The annual parade marks the Allied victory in World War II on the Eastern Front, on the same day as the signing of the German act of capitulation to the Allies in Berlin, at midnight of 9 May 1945 (Russian time).

[1] Originally, for the first time since 2002, cadets from the Civil Defense Academy of the Ministry of Emergency Situations were not to take part in the Victory Day parade in Moscow, while EMERCOM detachments continued to march past in other major parades nationwide, however, the decision was rescinded.

[2][3][4][5][6] New military vehicles in the parade include the BMPT Terminator[7][8] A pair of Russia's 5th-generation Su-57 fighter jets flew for the first time over Red Square, together with two MiG-31s armed with Kinzhal air-to-surface missiles.

From the 1st week up to the 3rd week of April, the Alabino military training center serves as the parade training ground for the estimated 14,000 military personnel in attendance for the Moscow parade, plus more than 135 vehicles and 78 aircraft.

As per tradition, 27 other Russian major cities (Sevastopol and Kerch in Crimea) held their commemorative parades on that day (some of them including flypasts), and joint civil-military parades are to be hosted by 50 other towns and cities nationwide.