Russian president Vladimir Putin has been forced to scale back a victory parade by a third because of huge Russian losses in its invasion of Ukraine. Putin's annual display of power could be somewhat less of a spectacle as a hugely depleted military goes on show on Monday, May 9.
The parade is held each year to mark the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two. It's also used as a way to show off the country's military might.
But losses in Ukraine mean it's going to be scaled back by around 35%, reports the Mirror. Reports also suggest that the army could have to show off tired old equipment from the 1960s.
Latest figures show that Russia has lost at least 600 tanks so far during its invasion of Ukraine. It's also thought that around 21,800 Russian soldiers have been killed as Ukrainians staunchly defend their country.
As the scale of Russia ’s military losses were laid bare in new figures released by the Ukrainian Land Forces, it emerged that more children were killed in indiscriminate shelling by Putin’s army. Two girls, aged five and 14, died when a residential building in Ocheretynsk, in the Donetsk region, was hit.
Their tragic deaths mean 213 children have lost their lives in the conflict, the day after a three-month-old baby died with her young mother and grandmother when their home was hit in a rocket attack in Odessa. A further 389 children have been seriously injured since Putin launched his offensive on February 24.
Military incompetence and poor preparation are thought to be hampering Russia’s plans. Troop losses have been put down to poor tactical decisions by Russian leaders and a considerable underestimation of the capabilities of Ukraine ’s armed forces.
Commanders are targeting civilians, as well as Ukrainian bases and weapons depots in retribution for the resistance. The latest statistics showed that a total of 873 tanks are said to have been destroyed, along with 2238 armoured vehicles, 179 planes, 154 helicopters and 408 artillery systems.
Russia’s biggest humiliation was suffered when its Black Sea fleet flagship sank after it was hit by two missiles. On February 24, Russia’s land army consisted of 280,000 full-time active soldiers compared with Ukraine’s 125,600.
But the amount of Russian soldiers needed to seize the whole country and control the entire population would be close to one million, according to Michael Clarke, a visiting professor in King’s College London’s department of war studies.
