Lonely Red Square Tank Speaks of Russia’s Growing Shortages of Military Equipment 

After two years of a full-fledged war with Ukraine, Russia’s military hardware cupboard is increasingly bare.

AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
A Soviet era T-34 tank with a red flag atop rolls during the Victory Day military parade at Moscow, May 9, 2024. AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko

A lone World War II-era T-34 tank clanked across the cobblestones of Moscow’s Red Square yesterday, passing a triumphant banner proclaiming: “1945 2024 Victory!” As a red and gold hammer and sickle flag flapped in unseasonal snow flurries, the lonely tank raised the question: where are the others?

During the Putin era, the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany traditionally has been celebrated by columns of late model tanks. Yesterday’s lone museum piece seemed to signal that, after two years of a full-fledged war with Ukraine, Russia’s military hardware cupboard is increasingly bare.

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