This footage shows Russian fighter jets soaring through the sky at low altitude and performing acrobatic stunts at blistering speeds in preparation for the upcoming Moscow victory military parade which celebrates Russia’s triumph over Germany in World War II.

The footage of the training exercises which took place over the small rural locality of Alabino in the Moscow Oblast region of Russia was released by the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) this Monday (12th April).

According to the Russian MoD, the victory parade will take place on 9th May and will be opened by three Mi-26 heavy transport helicopters.

The parade will then showcase Mi-8 transport and combat helicopters, the Mi-35 and Ka-52 attack helicopters and the Berkut aerobatic team on the Mi-28N.

Six Su-25 fighter jets will be used to carry out stunts and paint the Russian flag in the skies above Red Square.

The MoD also announced that several missile carriers will be showcased at the parade such as the Tu-160 and Tu-95MS.

The Tu-160 is one of the heaviest supersonic aircraft ever produced and it is currently the fastest bomber in the world.

The training day, which was the fourth of its type since last year’s parade, involved more than 70 different aircraft which performed stunts at altitude from 180 -550 metres (590-1804 feet) at speeds of 200 – 550 kph (124-341 mph).

The Moscow Victory Day Parade takes place every year in Moscow’s red square in celebration of Russia’s victory over the German army in 1945 and in remembrance of the 20 million Soviet live lost during the war.

It is considered the most important military parade in the country and is attended by the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, who is the keynote speaker at the event due to his role as Supreme Commander of the Russian Armed Forces.

The event is attended by 1000s of cadets and high-ranking officials from the Russian military including service commanders, deputy ministers in the Ministry of Defence and military generals.

Last year the parade was held in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic which delayed the parade from 9th May to 24th June.

Despite the pandemic, last year the event drew over 13,000 military personnel in attendance and 75 military aircraft along with an enormous crowd.