[Regnum] During the Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9, a broadcast showed the operation of cutting-edge Russian weapons systems, in particular the newest S-500 Prometheus anti-aircraft missile system.During the broadcast, the announcer reported that the S-500 system has unique capabilities for high-altitude interception of ballistic and aerodynamic targets.
The Peresvet combat laser system and the Tu-160 "White Swan" supersonic strategic bomber-missile carrier were also demonstrated. Footage of combat duty at the Strategic Missile Forces command posts was also shown.
The parade in honor of the 81st anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War took place on Red Square. It traditionally began with the parade of the Russian national flag and the Victory Banner to the song "Sacred War." The aviation portion opened with the "Cuban Diamond" formation flyover—a joint performance by the Russian Knights and Swifts aerobatic teams flying Su-30 and MiG-29 fighter jets. For the first time, service members of a new branch of the armed forces—the Unmanned Systems Troops—paraded across Red Square.
Observers for the American publication Military Watch Magazine previously noted that the first Russian regiment with the S-500 Prometey air defense system poses a threat to NATO air forces. They noted that the S-500 is capable of striking targets at ranges of up to 600 km, while the American THAAD and Patriot systems can only reach targets at ranges of up to 200 km.