Despite mounting losses and an ongoing shortage of armored vehicles on the frontlines in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus have launched joint rehearsals for a large-scale military parade set to take place in Minsk on May 9.
According to Russian media, armored units from both countries gathered at the Lipki airfield in Minsk Region, where rehearsals are currently underway for the upcoming Victory Day celebration.
Footage from the event shows a wide range of vehicles, including Russian T-72B3 tanks, BTR-80 and BTR-82A armored personnel carriers, 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers, and 240mm 2S4 Tyulpan heavy mortars. Also present were “Tigr-M SpN,” “Spartak,” “Linza,” and Chinese-made CS/VN3 Dajiang armored cars, along with 152mm Msta-B howitzers.
The parade, intended to project strength and unity between Moscow and Minsk, will feature a joint column of Russian and Belarusian military hardware moving through the streets of the Belarusian capital.
However, the decision to allocate frontline vehicles for ceremonial purposes has raised questions, even among Russian commentators. “It’s a fair question whether it makes sense to parade armored vehicles that are desperately needed on the front,” wrote the pro-Russian Telegram channel “Voenny Osvedomitel.” “But as always, the organizers know best.”
The criticism reflects deeper tensions within the Russian military establishment, where equipment losses have reached unprecedented levels.
According to estimates compiled by Oryx, an open-source intelligence platform, Russia has lost approximately 3,800 tanks since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. By comparison, Ukraine has lost around 1,100 tanks during the same period.
On the battlefield, Russia’s armored columns have increasingly relied on outdated equipment, hastily refurbished Soviet-era systems, and even repurposed civilian vehicles. In some areas, there have been reports of troops using horses and other improvised means of transport as armored losses mount.
The display in Minsk appears to serve more as a symbolic gesture than a reflection of current military capability.