Russia displays Western tanks captured in Ukraine war

The Russian military said that an exhibition on Wednesday in Moscow featured Western tanks and military hardware that it had acquired during its invasion of Ukraine, proving that assistance from the West would not prevent it from winning the conflict.

On a bright May Day public holiday, lines stretched out of buildings to get into the “Trophies of the Russian Army” display, which is being held outside a museum commemorating the Soviet Union’s 1945 triumph over Nazi Germany.

“History is repeating itself,” the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement, adding that the Soviet Union had in 1943 also put on a display of captured tanks and hardware, in this case from the German army.

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“Strength is in the truth. It’s always been that way. In 1943 and today. These war trophies reflect our strength. The more of them there are, the stronger we are,” the ministry stated, predicting a Russian victory in what it officially calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.

“No Western military equipment will change the situation on the battlefield,” the statement added.

Critics in the West and Ukraine claim that the majority of Russia’s military equipment is antiquated, and that the country’s victories on the battlefield are the product of heavy fatalities and overwhelming force of numbers. Although the exact number of casualties is unknown, both sides are known to have sustained significant losses.

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Days after the United States approved a $61 billion aid package for Kyiv, and after Russia made some quick but gradual territorial gains in eastern Ukraine at a time when Kyiv’s forces claim they are short on ammunition and manpower, the Moscow display, which features American, German, and French tanks that have been supplied to Ukraine, took place.

Apart from tanks, Moscow displays military equipment manufactured in Turkey, Sweden, Austria, Finland, South Africa, and the Czech Republic, as well as armored vehicles from Australia and Britain that were taken from Ukraine.

The main attraction of the presentation, according to State TV’s Channel One, was an American M1 Abrams combat tank that had been taken down by Russian forces in eastern Ukraine with the help of kamikaze drones and guided rockets.