In a first, an Indian military contingent, comprising members of all three services, will march through Moscow’s Red Square on June 24. The participation was restricted to the Indian Army in 2015, the only time Indian forces joined the parade. The Russian parade is held every year on Victory Day (May 9), which marks the surrender of Nazi Germany in 1945, but has been delayed this year due to the novel coronavirus.
PM Narendra Modi had been invited as a special guest for the May 9 event this year. With Modi unlikely to attend the event, the government is hoping to make up for his absence by sending a tri-service contingent to take part in the parade which showcases Russia’s military might.
A tri-service contingent comprising about 75-80 will leave for Moscow on June 19. President Vladimir Putin had invited Modi for the Victory Day celebrations during their meeting in Vladivostok last year. Russia, in fact, has invited several others heads of state and government for the parade as the event this year marks the 75th anniversary of the “Victory over Nazism”. Diplomatic sources said while details were still being worked out, the parade, depending upon the time available, was likely to include a mention of the contribution made by Indian soldiers in the Great Patriotic War.
Despite Russia’s deep military and political ties with China, and its own relations with the US, India continues to look at Moscow as a key partner. There has been enough political signalling to that effect recently, apart from the commitment to upgrade defence cooperation with Russia, including to jointly develop military equipment.
Earlier this month, the day Modi spoke to US President Donald Trump about the Sino-Indian border standoff, foreign secretary Harsh Shringla also held a meeting with Russian ambassador Nikolay Kudashev and briefed him on the issue. In February this year, while the Trump visit was still on, India allowed two Crimean leaders, both proscribed by the US, to visit India.
