The Kremlin is set to showcase captured Ukrainian and Western weapons in Moscow in a move seen as a provocative gesture amid Russia’s ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The exhibition, which includes German tanks and other Western military hardware, is set to be displayed to the public as part of Russia’s Victory Day celebrations on May 9.
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Russia’s Zvezda army Telegram channel announced on Wednesday, April 24, that an exhibition of captured Western weapons and equipment would be opened in Moscow’s Victory Park on Poklonnaya Hill starting on May 1.
Leopard tanks, Marder and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, and various other Western military equipment are reportedly among the exhibits.
Victory Park, inaugurated on May 9, 1995, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Victory Day over Nazi Germany, has since become a focal point for Putin’s propaganda efforts, controlled by the Moscow Ministry of Culture since 2014.
This year, the park has been repurposed to commemorate Russia’s actions in Ukraine. The exhibition is described as a celebration of Russia’s success “against Ukrainian militants and their Western supporters.”
Russia’s Defense Ministry plans to display “more than 30 samples from twelve countries,” including “vehicles and small arms from foreign armies, combat documents, maps, ideological literature, and equipment.”
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A correspondent from the army channel Zvezda praised the condition of the captured Marder infantry fighting vehicle, stating, “It is in almost perfect condition, but you can see slight dents from impacts, probably from FPV drones.”
Russia claims to have captured one or two Marder 1A3 infantry fighting vehicles, 90 of which Germany has reportedly delivered to Ukraine with a few lost in battle.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has regularly rotated newly lost Russian weapons which are on continuous display in public spaces in Kyiv and elsewhere.
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