Vladimir Putin’s Airborne Troops Day celebration over the weekend turned into a nightmare after a demonstrating paratrooper’s chute failed to open.
The jump on Sunday at Vatulino airfield near Moscow was part of an event honoring the country’s airborne troops, but it took a dark turn when a 41-year-old veteran leaped from the plane.
Spectators looked on as his parachute trailed behind him, never opening as he plummeted 2,000 feet, according to news.com.au.
Images of the aftermath have also surfaced, showing a limp parachute on the ground with the paratrooper’s body blurred out.
To mark Airborne Forces Day, the Russian president wrote on the Kremlin website that the parachute regiments had “always been filled with men of exceptional fortitude, indomitable spirit, unwavering resolve, a profound sense of comradeship, and mutual support.
“You are rightfully proud of the founders of the Airborne Forces, the immortal deeds and outstanding achievements of those who came before you, and you honor your veterans as role models,” he said.
“I would like to particularly note the skillful and resolute actions of the paratroopers who are defending Russia in the special military operation zone, shoulder to shoulder with their brothers in arms, displaying heroism and courage in the most critical sectors of the front.”
But what should have been defiant words projecting Russian strength came at a bad time, as the front in question continues to act as a death trap for hundreds of thousands of Putin’s troops.
According to the Ukrainian General Staff, Russian forces suffered 42,860 casualties in July alone, its worst month since the war began in February 2022.
At the start of last month, the Center for Strategic and International Studies revealed that there had already been 1.4 million Russian casualties during the fighting, with nearly half a million dead.
On the home front, the war has now come to ordinary Russian citizens as Kyiv carries out a drone blitz inside Russian territory using long-range strikes.
The strikes have gone as deep into the sprawling nation as Siberia, and have focused on key economic and logistical hubs.
Among them have been facilities belonging to Russia’s leading e-commerce company, Wildberries, with targets struck across the country and images circulating of huge plumes of smoke rising above vast warehouses.
Ukraine has struck Russia’s oil industry, too. Its fossil fuel resources are the spine of Russia’s economy and the refineries that turn them into usable products are the beating heart.
Several have been hit, in some cases remaining damaged for months and sparking the country’s worst energy crisis since the fall of the Soviet Union over 30 years ago.
