About 40,000 Russian servicemen will march in military parades celebrating the 71st anniversary of victory in World War II on May 9, the independent Ekho Moskvy radio reported Monday.
The Defense Ministry has begun rehearsals of the parades, which will take place in 26 Russian cities, the report said.
Last year, Russia held massive celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War — as World War II is known in Russia — in an effort to promote patriotism amid declining living standards, reports of rampant corruption, and shrinking ties with the West.
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