The Russian plane of the so-called “Doomsday” Ilyushin Il-80 is depicted flying near the Kremlin during rehearsals for the upcoming Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9, 2022. Contributor / Getty
Russia is ready to send a warning to the West by flying the Doomsday Plane during the planned Victory Day parade in Moscow next week.
The annual Victory Day celebrations, which mark the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, will be held on May 9 in Moscow’s Red Square. Russia’s defense ministry said on Friday that this year’s parade would include a rare Ilyushin Il-80 flight, a command plane designed to transport Russian President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials in the event of a nuclear war, according to Reuters. .
The plane did not fly as part of the Victory Day 2010 parade. nuclear war could break out if the West gets directly involved.
Russia has put its nuclear arsenal on high alert during the war in Ukraine, while Putin and other key officials have repeatedly made veiled threats, suggesting the weapons could be used.
After testing an intercontinental ballistic missile with a nuclear capability, sometimes known as “Satan 2”, last month, Putin boasted that the weapon had “no analogues” and would make countries that “threaten” Russia “think twice.”
Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, told Newsweek on Thursday that allegations of Russian rhetoric as a source of blame for escalating nuclear tensions were “groundless” and “part of a propaganda campaign”, while warning that the current generation of NATO politicians was clearly does not take the nuclear threat seriously. “
Putin must speak at the Victory Day event before more than 11,000 troops and 129 units of military equipment cross Red Square. Supersonic fighter jets and Tupolev Tu-160 strategic supersonic bombers will also take part in the overpass of St. Basil’s Cathedral.
Western officials have speculated that Putin could use his speech to announce plans to recruit Russian civilians into the army or to declare total war on Ukraine and the “Nazis,” whom Russia said its “special military operation” was intended to remove. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the speculation “nonsense.”
The latest figures from the Russian Ministry of Defense show that this year’s Victory Day parade will be significantly reduced, with 12,000 troops and 191 military vehicles taking part in last year’s event. The ministry did not explain the cuts, although a large number of troops and military equipment remain engaged in Ukraine.
The United States also supports Doomsday aircraft, a heavily modified version of the Boeing 747 called the E-4B Nightwatch. One was recently spotted flying near Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California and accompanying President Joe Biden on a March trip to Europe to discuss the war in Ukraine with NATO allies.
Newsweek turned to the Russian government and the White House for comment.
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