Russia displays military might in WWII 'Victory Day' parade

Russia today staged a grand military parade here to commemorate the 70th anniversary of its victory over Nazi Germany in the presence of several world leaders,including President Pranab Mukherjee, even as Western powers boycotted the event due to a standoff over Ukraine.Nearly 10,000 soldiers, including an Indian Army contingent and China's People's Liberation Army (PLA), took part in the parade on the iconic Red Square here which lasted for over 90 minutes. The grand parade was held even as the Ukraine crisiscontinues, with the West slapping sanctions on Moscow over Russia's seizure of Crimea and alleged support for separatists in eastern Ukraine. United States President Barack Obama has snubbed the celebrations, as have the leaders of Britain and France. Smaller parades in 25 other cities also took place during the day involving 25,000 soldiers.