Russia has successfully test launched its new Soyuz-5 rocket for the first time, the country's space agency said late on Thursday, confirming it lifted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan without any issues.
Successful Launch
The Soyuz-5, which Roscosmos, Russia's space agency, describes as a launch vehicle equipped with the world's most powerful liquid-fuelled engine, lifted off successfully at 2100 Moscow time (1800 GMT) on April 30, it said in a statement.
The new rocket is capable of carrying payloads of up to 17 metric tonnes, will significantly reduce launch costs, and is more effective than its predecessors at placing objects like satellites in near Earth orbit, the agency added.
Job Creation and Space Exploration
Dmitry Bakanov, the head of Roskosmos, hailed the rocket as a "new step in space exploration" and said it would create new jobs in Russia and Kazakhstan. Bakanov has previously told President Vladimir Putin that the Soyuz-5 is the first new launch vehicle Russia has developed since 2014.
The test launch marks a significant milestone for Russia's space program, which has faced challenges in recent years due to budget constraints and international sanctions.
Victory Day Parade Changes
In a separate development, it was announced on Thursday that Russia's traditional parade marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II will take place next week without tanks, missiles, and other military equipment. This will be the first time in nearly two decades—and during Russia's four-year war in Ukraine—that no military equipment will rumble through Moscow's Red Square on May 9, the day Russia celebrates its most important secular holiday.
The Kremlin has used the Victory Day parade to showcase its military might and global clout, and it is a source of patriotic pride. Parades on Red Square have involved military equipment and various weaponry every year since 2008. Smaller parades are held elsewhere across the country, including in cities like St. Petersburg.
The Ministry of Defence cited the "current operational situation" as a reason for excluding military equipment, as well as cadets, from this year's parade on the 81st anniversary of the victory. Ukraine has launched drone attacks deep inside Russia to counter Moscow's more than four-year-long invasion.
While the ministry did not elaborate, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday blamed Ukraine, accusing it of "terrorist activity," in an apparent reference to the drone strikes. In recent months, attacks have reached locations deep inside Russia, such as the Baltic port of Ust-Luga north of Moscow, the Samara region near the border with Kazakhstan, and the Perm region in the Ural mountains.
"All measures are being taken to minimize the danger," Peskov told reporters.
The parade will feature "servicemen from higher military educational institutions of all kinds and certain service branches of the Russian Armed Forces" and a traditional military aircraft flyover, the ministry said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told U.S. President Donald Trump in a phone call later Wednesday that he was ready to declare a ceasefire with Ukraine for the Victory Day holiday, according to presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov. Ushakov said Trump supported the idea as the holiday marked "our common victory over fascism" in World War II.
