A grand military parade on Red Square and a massive procession of the Immortal Regiment took place in Moscow to mark Victory Day and commemorate the fallen of World War II.

Victory Day celebrations in the Russian capital opened with a traditional military parade on Red Square. Thousands of troops, wearing ceremonial and field uniforms, carried their colors and paraded in front of a rostrum full of guests, including World War II veterans. A veteran T-34 tank, accompanied by vehicles carrying historic wartime banners, opened the second part of the parade. This was followed by a display of the best current Russian military hardware, from Tigr-M armored vehicles to state-of-the-art air-defense systems.

This year’s newcomers included two Uran robotic vehicles, the mine-sweeping Uran-6 and the attack Uran-9, as well as two drones, the rotorcraft Katran and the fixed-wing Korsar, Russia’s first strike-capable UAV.

After the main national parade, young and old flooded the streets of downtown Moscow to join the Immortal Regiment, an iconic procession in which every participant celebrates a relative who fought in WWII by carrying their photo. This year, the event set a new record by incorporating one million participants, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

READ MORE: WWII veteran who walked with Putin after being pushed by his guards tells RT of his many battles

The Immortal Regiment has gained popularity beyond Russia, with similar marches taking place in the US, France, Germany, China, and other countries.

Throughout the day, a number of events were held for war veterans. In Moscow, open-air concerts were organized in major squares, along with traditional veteran meetings in the city’s parks. Similar commemorative events were set up all across the country.

At the end of the day, spectacular fireworks lit up the sky over Moscow, with pyrotechnics launched from 15 parks around the city.

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