Military hardware, including tanks, captured by Russia in Ukraine, are on display in Victory Park for a month-long open-air exhibition leading up to the country’s Victory Day celebrations.
ADVERTISEMENTAn exhibition of Western military equipment captured from Kyiv forces during the fighting in Ukraine opened Wednesday in the Russian capital.
The month-long exhibition will feature some 30 tanks, armoured vehicles and other weapons, said to have been donated to Ukraine by various countries, including the US, the UK, Germany, France, Sweden, Australia, and South Africa.
Russian state TV aired footage on Sunday showcasing preparations for its show.
Described as a celebration of Russia’s success “against Ukrainian militants and their Western supporters,” the video depicted heavy trucks transporting multi-tonne vehicles and cranes lifting them into position in Victory Park on Poklonnaya Hill, Moscow's designated venue for the display.
Signs at the exhibition read: “Our victory is inevitable!”
The exhibition comes as Russian forces have grabbed more land in eastern Ukraine, taking advantage of delays in Western military assistance to push back the under-gunned Kyiv forces.
Among the showcased vehicles was a German Leopard 2 tank, which purportedly encountered an anti-tank mine during a battle near Berdychi in Ukraine, resulting in damage to its right track.
The exhibits also include a US-made M1 Abrams battle tank and a Bradley armoured vehicle, a Marder armoured infantry vehicle from Germany, and a French-made AMX-10RC.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov has hailed the Moscow exhibition as a “brilliant idea”.
Meanwhile, some have questioned the authenticity of the Ministry of Defence-sponsored show.
Notably, South Africa has not donated any military equipment to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion of its western neighbour in February 2022. The Victory Park exhibition features at least one vehicle branded with the African country's flag.