Russia's Odd Victory Day Rehearsals Mark Defeat of Nazis

MOSCOW— -- An odd feature of life in Moscow during May is the military rehearsals for Victory Day, the huge parade that celebrates the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. You can suddenly find Moscow’s central streets choked with tanks for one of the rehearsals: Hundreds of heavy armored vehicles, including nuclear missile carriers, rumbled through the city Monday, past people sitting in cafes or taking selfies with anti-aircraft systems.

The event was a dry run for the May 9 Victory Day, when Russia will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the defeat of the Nazis in 1945. The parade is always partly an opportunity for Russia to exhibit its military strength and this year the amount of weaponry and troops on display will be the biggest ever, with 15,000 troops participating, as well as 250 military vehicles.

The holiday is one of the most important in Russia: About 27 million Soviet citizens died in the war, and almost every Russian family lost a relative. But it is controversial in Eastern European countries where many see it as trumpeting Russian aggression.