Russia is celebrating its biggest public holiday, Victory Day, with a military parade in Moscow that was meant to be held on 9 May.
Holding the delayed event on 24 June commemorates the victory parade staged by the USSR back in 1945.
President Vladimir Putin reluctantly postponed the big annual celebration because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Russia on Wednesday reported 7,176 new cases of the novel coronavirus, pushing its nationwide case total to 606,881, the world’s third highest tally.
The country’s coronavirus crisis response centre said 154 people had died in the past 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 8,513.
This year’s parade is special for Mr Putin because in a week’s time Russia will hold a nationwide vote on constitutional amendments that are expected to pave the way for him to stay in power beyond 2024, when his current term expires.
It is 75 years since the then USSR defeated Nazi Germany. World War Two cost more than 20 million Soviet lives.
Moscow’s lockdown has eased this month, enabling the parade, featuring tanks and long-range missiles, to go ahead.
The annual parade in Red Square is always an occasion for President Putin to harness Russian patriotic feelings, in a way reminiscent of Soviet times.
He has restored Cold War-era Soviet symbols, and in 2008 he reintroduced heavy weaponry in the parade. The black-and-gold wartime St George’s ribbon is especially ubiquitous.
Nazi Germany surrendered to the Allies – Britain, the US and USSR – on 8 May 1945. But traditionally Russia and the other ex-Soviet republics mark the victory on 9 May.
Read more via TASS
