Putin mocks Western military aid as Russian exhibit shows off captured NATO equipment | World | News

Vladimir Putin’s officials are putting the final touches to a public exhibit of captured NATO weapons in Moscow. The military equipment includes British vehicles, German tanks and US artillery weapons all captured in pristine condition from the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Russians will be able to view dozens of captured military equipment at a square in Moscow during a month-long exhibit. The exhibition is described as a celebration of Russia’s success “against Ukrainian militants and their Western supporters”.

The Russian Ministry of Defence said that more than 30 pieces of military equipment made in Australia, Austria, the UK, the US, Turkey, Ukraine, France, Finland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Sweden and South Africa, will be displayed at Moscow’s Victory Park.

Among the captured ‘trophies’ are the British ‘Husky TSV’ armoured vehicle, the US Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, the Swedish CV90 infantry fighting vehicle, and the French AMX-10 RC armoured vehicle.

Beyond equipment, the exhibit will also expose Ukrainian “combat documents, maps and ideological literature”.

The Victory Park is an open-air museum focused on commemorating Nazi Germany’s defeat during World War II—known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War.

The exhibition will also run alongside Moscow’s Red Square Victory Day parade on May 9 to commemorate the victory against the Nazis.

The ‘NATO exhibit’ is seen as Vladimir Putin taunting the West, just days after the US and UK agreed to send billions more in military aid.

Earlier this week, Rishi Sunak promised the UK’s largest-ever military support package for Ukraine.

The UK plans to send 400 vehicles, more than 1,600 missiles, 4m rounds of ammunition, 60 boats, as well as an additional £500m in military funding, taking the total to £3bn this financial year.

On Friday the US announced it will provide about £4.7billion long-term military aid to Ukraine, including much sought-after munitions for Patriot air defence system.

Meanwhile, US military officials revealed that Ukraine had sidelined US Abrams M1A1 tanks because Russian drones could detect them and launch attacks.

Five of the 31 Abrams that the US sent in January 2023 have already been lost to Russian attacks.