Russia shows military might at Victory Day parade

Russia showed off its military might at a Victory Day parade on Sunday (May 9).

The display on Moscow's Red Square, commemorating the 76th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, featured over 12,000 troops and more than 190 pieces of military hardware, including intercontinental ballistic missile launchers, and a fly-past by nearly 80 military aircraft.

The patriotic display coincides with soaring tensions with the West, ranging from the conflict in Ukraine to the fate of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

Russia and the U.S. have expelled each other's diplomats in recent months, and Moscow and EU member states have been involved in a similar tit-for-tat diplomatic dispute.

This year's parade also precedes parliamentary elections due to be held in September.