Context

Russia has marked 75 years since victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two despite cancelling its traditional military parade because of the coronavirus outbreak.

About

• Victory Day marks the end of World War II and the victory of the Allied Forces in 1945. The day marks Germany’s surrender to the Soviet Union in 1945.
• It became the end of the Great Patriotic War for the USSR, which lost about 25 million citizens in the four years of fighting.
• Interestingly, until its 20th anniversary (May 9, 1965), Victory Day was not a major holiday.
• Apart from the anniversaries in 1965 and 1985, Victory Day celebrations in the Soviet Union did not feature a military parade.

This tradition started in 1995.

World War II   World War II was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It was a battle between two groups of countries- the Allies and the Axis. The major Allied Powers were Britain, France, Russia, China and the United States. The major Axis Powers were Germany, Italy and Japan. Before World War 2 began, Germany was ruled by Adolf Hitler. Together with the Nazi Party, he wanted Germany to rule Europe. To gain more land and power, on 1 September 1939 German troops invaded Poland. After Hitler refused to stop the invasion, Britain and France declared war on Germany – World War II had begun. The war resulted in the extension of the Soviet Union’s power to nations of eastern Europe, enabled a communist movement to eventually achieve power in China, and marked the decisive shift of power in the world away from the states of western Europe and toward the United States and the Soviet Union.

Role of Indian Military

• The British Indian Armed Forces during World War-II were one of the largest Allied Forces contingents which took part in the North and East African Campaign, Western Desert Campaign and the European Theatre against the Axis powers.
• This campaign witnessed sacrifice by over 87,000 Indian servicemen beside 34,354 being wounded.
• The Indian Military not only fought on all fronts, but also ensured delivery of goods along the Southern, Trans-Iranian Lend-Lease route, along which weapons, ammunitions, spare parts for equipment and food went to the Soviet Union, Iran and Iraq.

Key-highlights

• The parade was reviewed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, war veterans and guests, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
• This year, 14,000 troops and several hundred military machines took part in the parade, including 30 historic T-34 tanks.
• Modern vehicles also participated, including AFV Terminator, T-72, and T-14 Armata tanks, 9K720 Iskander missile systems, and many other cutting-edge military hardware, Sputnik International reported.
• Planes and helicopters also participated in an air parade, with Su-25s colouring the sky in white, blue, and red — the colours of the Russian flag.

What’s so special this time?

• A 75-member Tri-service contingent of the Indian Armed Forces participated in the 75th anniversary of the Victory Day Parade at the iconic Red Square in Moscow.
• The Tri-Service contingent of the Indian Armed Forces comprised 75 all ranks and marched along with contingents of Russian Armed Forces and 17 other countries, according to an official statement.