As Russia prepares for Independence Day celebrations, Ukraine Saturday, August 20 paraded Russian destroyed tanks and armour along the streets of Kyiv to mock the invasion.
Russia has lost more than 1,700 tanks in Ukraine while Ukraine has lost 3,696 tanks and other armored military vehicles since the start of the war, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a televised statement Monday.
Ukraine is said to be “trolling” Russian President Vladimir Putin – who allegedly intended to hold his own victory parade in the capital – with the procession of rusting tanks.
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The Kremlin reportedly had firm plans in place for the parade and some Russian officers had even prepared formal uniforms to be worn. However, Russian troops had to abandon their assault on Kyiv and refocus their efforts in east of Ukraine in March.
Before Saturday, the vehicles most of which were destroyed in the first weeks of the war, were set up outside the iconic St Michael’s Monastery as a reminder of Russia’s aggression.
However, on Saturday morning, they were moved by cranes and lorries to Khreshchatyk Street, in preparation for Ukraine’s independence day on 24 August.
The Ukranian Ministry of Defence posted videos of Ukranians touring and taking pictures alongside the destroyed tanks and armoury.
On Saturday, locals flocked to the centre of the capital to watch the procession of vehicles abandoned during the Russian retreat. It comes ahead of Ukraine’s independence day on Aug 24.
Locals were seen examining and photographing the tanks, as children climbed on them.
The parade follows other morale-boosting displays of Russia’s destroyed and abandoned military equipment.
In May, Kyiv’s residents gathered in Saint Michael’s Square to catch a glimpse of tanks as a sense of normality returned to the capital.
Other displays have seen tanks paraded through towns and cities across Ukraine, as well as abroad.
In July, two tanks were showcased in Warsaw’s historic Castle Square. The T-72 tank and 2S-19 self-propelled howitzer still had grass and mud trapped in their tracks.
Those vehicles had been captured by Ukrainian forces near Kyiv and the northern city of Kharkiv before being put on display in the Polish capital.
The event was a joint initiative between the Ukrainian and Polish governments entitled “For Your Freedom and Ours ”.
There are plans for the tanks to travel to Lisbon and Madrid at later dates.
Russia initially planned to use the street to celebrate if it had captured Kyiv during the early stages of the war.
