Vladimir Putin was forced to cancel this year’s Victory Day parade due to “embarrassing tank shortages” amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, RadarOnline.com has learned.
In a surprising consequence of Putin’s war against Ukraine, the 70-year-old Russian strongman reportedly had no choice but to cancel this year’s annual celebration because nearly all of Russia’s military units are deployed on the frontlines of the ongoing conflict.
This marks a substantial change from previous years when, on May 9, Putin would hold a nationwide rally to celebrate Russia’s victory over Nazi Germany in 1945.
According to Daily Star, smaller parades initially scheduled to take place in each locality within Russia were also canceled due to the apparent tank shortage.
While the Kremlin announced the Victory Day parades were canceled for security reasons, as well as harsh weather forecasts, Russian sources revealed Putin pulled the plug “because [Russia] simply [has] not enough functioning tanks to run up and down” Moscow’s Red Square.
“The Russian May 9 parades have been canceled,” one Russian insider wrote on social media this week. “The Russian authorities claim it is due to ‘security concerns,’ but I believe it is because they simply have not enough functioning tanks to run up and down the road.”
“Every Russian tank is needed at the front and all remaining parade vehicles are needed for the larger cities,” the Russian account continued. “Last year the flight show at the May 9 parade in Moscow was canceled, too.”
“They claimed it is due to ‘bad weather.’”
After Putin was accused of sending a body double to make a surprise visit to the frontlines last month, a substantial number of Russian citizens spoke out to criticize the ongoing war and Putin’s role in continuing it.
“Nobody f—— needs us here,” one disillusioned Russian citizen wrote in March. “Everything is done for a picture on TV, so that people in Russia will watch.”
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