According to The Moscow Times, it was the deputy head of the Airborne Forces School in Ryazan, Colonel Sergey Molochnikov, and the head of the Academy of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, Lieutenant General Viktor Panchenkov, who commanded the Victory Day parade held on Red Square.
After the video recording this moment began to spread on the Internet, V. Panchenkov explained the reason for his act.
“According to the regulations of the army, you cannot hold your hand to your head covering while standing in formation. The military salute is performed only when you are not standing in line,” he said.
However, the officer added that he did not know why the other commanders still paid respect to the Kremlin leader.
S. Moločnikov is a participant in military operations in the North Caucasus, a former commander of the 104th Guards Assault Regiment, who previously headed the Omsk Airborne Forces Training Center and the Tactics Department of the Ryazan Airborne School, The Moscow Times writes.
Before being appointed to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, V. Panchenkovas served in the tank forces. He graduated from the Chelyabinsk Higher School of Tank Forces Commanders and until 2004 headed the headquarters of the tank regiment of the 34th Motorized Rifle Division in the Sverdlovsk Region.
On Red Square, in front of thousands of soldiers dressed in parade uniforms, V. Putin did not hesitate to praise his army in Ukraine and traditionally accused the “Western elite” of inciting conflicts around the world. “Dear friends, Russia is now going through a difficult, decisive period. The fate of the motherland, its future depends on each of us,” V. Putin said during the Victory Day parade.
The May 9 parade commemorates the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II and has become Russia’s most important public holiday. The Russian president has repeatedly called the war in Ukraine an existential struggle against “Nazism”. He also stepped up his nuclear rhetoric. Earlier this week, he ordered the Russian military to conduct nuclear weapons drills involving the navy and troops stationed off Ukraine.
The Victory Day parade takes place on Red Square, Russian military equipment rolls through it, advanced missiles and air defense systems are demonstrated, and thousands of soldiers march. Russia often invites representatives from countries it considers “friendly” to the event, although attendance has dwindled even before Putin sent troops to Ukraine in 2022. at the beginning
