After-Parade Report 2025: 80th Anniversary of Victory. Parades Vehicle Numbers

Conflict Intelligence Team, working alongside volunteers, once again conducted a count of military equipment featured in Russia’s May 9 Victory Day parades, continuing a study that began in 2022 and includes data from 2023 and 2024. This year’s survey covered parades in 58 cities across the country—virtually all major commemorations held in honor of the Victory Day.

In tallying the equipment, the team excluded World War II-era vehicles and weaponry, focusing instead on more modern arms that are currently used, or could potentially be used, in Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. To maintain consistency across the multi-year series and ensure comparability of results, CIT continues to classify cities belonging to the newly reconstituted Moscow and Leningrad military districts under the now-defunct Western Military District.

The number of weapons and military vehicles featured in the main parade on Red Square in Moscow rose 2.5 times compared to the previous year, jumping from 60 to 153 units. Notably, while modern tracked vehicles had been entirely absent from the 2023 and 2024 parades, this year’s procession saw tanks—from T-72s to T-90s—and a range of other armored fighting vehicles, both tracked and wheeled, return to the streets.

Although CIT has repeatedly emphasized that a full picture requires analysis of parades held nationwide, the increase in equipment displayed on Red Square is in line with a broader Russian trend. Across the country, the number of military vehicles showcased on May 9 rose from 912 in 2024 to 1,409 in 2025—an increase of more than 50 percent.

The 2025 parades were the largest since the start of the full-scale war. Additionally, the number of cities where parades were either canceled or held without military equipment decreased: nine cities in 2025 compared to 15 in 2024 and 14 in 2023. Nevertheless, the overall quantity of military vehicles involved has still not returned to the pre-war levels observed in 2021.

The most significant increase in military equipment on display was recorded in the Central Military District, where the number of units more than doubled—from 201 to 409. The smallest increase was in the Eastern Military District, with just 49 additional units, rising from 235 to 284.

The total number of military vehicles increased throughout all types tracked by us at the parades, compared to last year.

The overall growth was primarily driven by increases in the number of tanks, armored fighting vehicles, armored vehicles, artillery and support equipment. The latter accounted for the largest numerical growth: up by 138 units compared to the previous year. This category includes equipment and vehicles of the Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Protection Troops, ground surveillance radars, electronic warfare systems, engineering vehicles and logistics support equipment. These types of vehicles are the least likely to be used directly on the front and, in many cases, see little to no combat. As a result, losses among them have been relatively low, allowing the Russian Armed Forces to largely preserve this fleet and showcase it during the parades.

The highest percentage increase was recorded in the tanks category, with a 182% growth compared to 2024. The most frequently displayed model was the T-72, followed by the T-90 and T-80. The T-14 Armata—as in 2022 through 2024—was absent once again. Older tanks such as the T-62 and T-55, which are also used in the war against Ukraine, were present as well, though in smaller numbers.

Such a significant increase in the number of tanks has certainly drawn attention. As has been repeatedly noted, tanks are one of the scarcest military vehicles in the Russian army. A high rate of losses, combined with limited production, would seemingly preclude such a surge in the number of "parade-ready" vehicles.

However, the answer was provided by Uralvagonzavod—Russia’s largest state-owned machine-building company and tank manufacturer. According to its general director Aleksandr Potapov, after participating in the parades, the tanks will be fitted with the anti-drone cope cages and Electronic Warfare systems that were absent during the celebrations and sent to the frontline.

Thus, this substantial increase in the number of tanks was achieved by disregarding the needs of the front. The latest production batches were held back for parade participation instead of being given to the troops. An indirect confirmation of this is the modest increase in the number of weapons and military equipment, particularly tanks, observed at the Eastern Military District parades. This district is located far from major production centers and not along the route from factories to the combat zone.

There has also been an increase in the number of armored fighting vehicles and armored vehicles seen at the parades—the latter being relatively simple to produce and seldom used directly in combat. Last year, we observed a trend of replacing other types of weaponry with various armored vehicles during parades. This year, instead of substitution, we simply saw a greater number of them.

The number of tube artillery pieces featured in the parade nearly doubled—from 68 to 112 units. The 122mm D-30 howitzer, first adopted by the Soviet army in 1960, remains the most frequently showcased. The second most commonly displayed is the towed 100mm MT-12 Rapira anti-tank gun, which entered serial production in 1970. Artillery of the main 152mm caliber was represented to a much lesser extent. Meanwhile, the newest self-propelled howitzer, the Koalitsiya-SV—described by Russian media as "promising and unique" and reportedly delivered to the military as early as January 2024—was not featured in any parade.

The increase in the number of mortars, multiple launch rocket systems and air defense systems in 2025 compared to the previous year was relatively minor. The number of short-range ballistic missile systems and intercontinental ballistic missiles displayed in the parade also remained largely unchanged. This is primarily because most of the showcased missile systems—such as the Bal and Yars—are not being used in the war, while the actively deployed 9K720 Iskander mobile short-range ballistic missile systems have sustained no significant losses and remain readily available.

CIT believes that the overall increase in military hardware featured in this year’s parades is primarily due to the symbolic occasion—the 80th anniversary of the victory—and the desire to impress both the foreign leaders attending the Moscow parade and the general Russian public nationwide. It is likely that in the coming years, if combat operations continue, the number of systems displayed in the parades will return to previous levels.

For more details and the numbers of vehicles per location, click here.

We wish to express our sincere thanks to our volunteers who reviewed the footage of dozens of parades to help complete this report.