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Russian missile troops arm up for Victory Day parade

Three "Topol M" strategic ballistic missiles will roll through Moscow's Red Square to mark the WWII Victory Day on May 9
Russian strategic nuclear missile Topol-M moves on the Red square during Victory Day parade in 2013 EPA/SERGEI CHIRIKOV
Russian strategic nuclear missile Topol-M moves on the Red square during Victory Day parade in 2013
© EPA/SERGEI CHIRIKOV

MOSCOW, February 26. /ITAR-TASS/. Three "Topol M" strategic ballistic missiles will roll through Moscow's Red Square to mark the WWII Victory Day on May 9.

Motorised troops will haul the giants across the ancient cobbles on Victory Day, brought to the capital from the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces unit's Ivanovo garrison where the missiles have been prepared for the gala celebration march-past.

"The troops and their hardware are ready for the parade," Teikovsky missile unit spokesman Colonel Igor Yegorov told Itar-Tass on Wednesday, citing the close of inspections by an army investigating commission checking readiness of three "autonomous launching installations" forming part of Topol-M's missile system.

Victory Day will be the Teikovsky troops' seventh appearance at an annual celebration where last year, more than 11,000 personnel from Russia's armed forces, law enforcement agencies and military academy students paraded their colours through the square to the music of an 800-piece combined services brass band.

Topol and Iskander missile complexes awed spectators also on Victory Day 2013, appearing with Tiger and Lynx armoured vehicles, BTR-82A armoured carriers, T-90 tanks, self-propelled MSAT-S artillery systems, Triumph S-400 air defence systems among latest examples of military hardware. The Red Square fly-past by 68 aircraft and helicopters completed last year's spectacle.