Donetsk, May 9 – DAN. The Banner of Victory and the DPR Banner flapping in the wind, military equipment and infantry formations have walked along the Donetsk main street on the V-Day right into the Republic's history.
DPR Deputy Defense Minister Major-General Sergey Velikorodnyi, a chevalier of the Republic Merit Order was in command of the parade. He was followed by the youngest participants of the Parade – cadets of the Republican Military School, including the son of the late Sergey "Givi" Tolstykh, a DPR hero and famous commander.
For the first time ever in the DPR history foreign military members, joint units of the South Ossetia, have taken part in the parade.
Public warmly greeted a formation of the first army corps officers headed by the DPR representative at the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination (JCCC), chief of staff Ruslan Yakubov.
The DPR first army corps took shape in October 2014 on the basis of people's militia units. The corps took part in key military operations in Donbass, such as the battles for Debeltsevo, Ilovaisk, Uglegorsk and a legendary Saur-Mogila tumulus.
Republican guard units walked down the street. Their members fought on the Debaltsevo salient, repulsing the enemy's attack in Logvinovo for 14 hours.
The Interior Ministry's Academy cadets and internal forces troops followed their copatriots. These units defended Slavyansk and the Donetsk airport, and are currently defending Yasinovataya and Zaitsevo.
The DPR first responders have also paraded today, represented by four formations, including a women's one. The Legion unit, providing security to rescuers at the front line, accompanied them. The cadets of the Civil Defense Academy have marched in the parade for the first time.
The Donetsk Higher All-Troops Command College cadet formation closed the show headed by a DPR Hero Andrey Zaitsev, one of the tutors, whose tank has doubled rammed the enemy in a battle outside Uglegorsk.
Twenty parade groups of 64 people each marched along the Artyoma street, followed by military equipment columns, consisting of modern and WWII pieces, such as the legendary headguarters GAZ-67, T-34, the Katyusha multiple rocket launcher and GAZ-AA “Polutorka”.
Modern part comprises IFVs, APCs, T-64 and T-72 tanks, anti-aircraft missile systems Strela-10, self-propelled Gvozdika howitzers, MLRS Grad, 120mm regiment mortars, anti-tank Rapira guns, D-30 and MSTA-B howitzers, 23mm twin-barreled anti-aircraft gun ZU-23-2 with two large caliber machine guns.
The first Victory Day parade in the DPR history was held on May 9, 2015, when several dozens of military equipment pieces made their way through Donetsk streets. *ot
