Dear Readers, 

Current affairs forms an important component of several competitive exams such as the UPSC Civil Services Examination, SSC CGL, Bank PO & PSU entrance tests, etc. Therefore, understanding terms/concepts/events that are in the news is critical for aspirants. We at PaGaLGuY bring you this series of articles in which we shall explain some of these important concepts/events for you.

In this article, we take a look at Russia’s celebrations of their 70th Victory Day. Russia had a glorious celebration in ‘Red Square’, commemorating the 70 years mark since the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.  On 8 May, 1945, when the peace treaty had been signed late on in Berlin, Moscow received the news in the early hours of 9 May.

      For the past 70 years, 9 May or ‘Victory Day’  has been a public holiday in the Soviet Union and now in Russia, celebrating victory over Nazis and remembering all those who had died, defending their Motherland.

   Russia has staged a massive display of her military power with the new age weaponry with 160 military vehicles including tanks, rocket launchers, and armoured carriers. The most prominent amongst them were the latest T-14 Aramata tank, Sukhoi Su-30, Su-35s, and the ‘Yars’ Intercontinental Ballistic missile system.The Aramata is the first new Russian tank to be developed since the Soviet union collapsed in 1991. More than 16,000 men including army contingents from India, China, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and other countries marched in the parade. Indian Army marched in this parade for the first time with a 75 member  contingent of the Nine Grenadiers regiment.

Leaders from US & EU chose to stay away from the event in protest against Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine back in 2015. A decade ago, on Russia’s 60th victory day the US & French president along with German chancellor were chief official guests. This year the presence of India, China, & other BRICS nations as prime guests were marking the future  strategic prospect in the world diplomacy.