MOSCOW (Sputnik) – More than 15,000 servicemen will march on Moscow’s Red Square during a parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of victory over the Nazi Germany, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday.
“The number of troops who will march in columns will grow by more than 50 percent and stand at 15,000 people,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Kremlin Chief of Staff Sergei Ivanov said that servicemen from more than 10 countries would take part in the parade on Moscow’s Red Square.
More than 30 country leaders confirmed their participation in Moscow's Victory Day parade on May 9, according to the Russian Izvestia newspaper, citing a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry.
European Council President Donald Tusk, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron declined Moscow's invitation to attend Victory Day. The move reflects recent tensions between the West and Russia amid the accusations of Moscow's alleged involvement in the Ukrainian internal affairs.
