An exhibition of Western tanks and military equipment seized by Russian forces in Ukraine was held in Moscow, and the Russian military said the exhibition revealed that Western aid would not prevent it from winning the war.
On Labor Day weekend, in a sunny atmosphere on Wednesday, long lines of people lined up at the entrance to the exhibition called “Spoils of the Russian Army,” which is held outside a museum displaying the Soviet Union’s victories over Nazi Germany in 1945.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that “history repeats itself,” adding that in 1943 the Soviet Union offered tanks and equipment that had been stolen from the German army.
The ministry said: “Power comes from reality.” It has always been like this, whether today or in 1945. The spoils of war show our strength. The more there are, the stronger we are.” The ministry expected Russia’s victory in what it officially described as a “special military operation” in Ukraine.
The statement added: “No Western military equipment will change the situation on the battlefield.”
The parade, which includes American, German and French tanks supplied to Ukraine, was held days after the United States approved a $61 billion aid package for Kiev, and after Russia made a rapid and gradual advance into eastern Ukraine at a time when Kiev’s forces were complaining of a shortage of ammunition and troops.
In addition to tanks, Moscow is displaying British and Australian armored vehicles seized in Ukraine, as well as military equipment made in Turkey, Sweden, Austria, Finland, South Africa, and the Czech Republic.
Russian TV Channel One reported that the star of the show was an American M1 Abrams combat tank, adding that Russian forces had captured it in eastern Ukraine using a guided missile and suicide drones.
Western and Ukrainian critics say that much of Russia’s military equipment is old or outdated, and that Russian gains on the battlefield were achieved due to the huge number of troops and heavy human losses. Although both sides do not reveal the number of dead and wounded, it is clear that they suffered heavy losses.