A large number of people gathered in Minsk on Saturday to attend a Victory Day military parade, in spite of increasing numbers of coronavirus cases in Belarus. Belarus did not cancel mass events to stamp the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe and has not forced strict self-isolation rules.

Belarus has also been criticized for inaction, continuing to hold football matches within the starting weeks of its pandemic, as other nations around the world stopped sports and brought their economies to a halt. For Victory Day celebrations, Minsk has set up seating up to 11,000 individuals, and 3,000 servicemen are also taking part within the parade, agreeing to state-run Belarusian news agency Belta. Some individuals were seen wearing masks on the live-feed from the parade, also captured by Belarusian TV stations. 

President Alexander Lukashenko’s decision to hold the parade amid the widespread pandemic was met with criticism both abroad and at home, with over 13,000 individuals marking a request to cancel the parade and use the funds to purchase ventilators for hospitals.

According to Johns Hopkins University data, Belarus, a nation of 9.5 million, has officially reported 21,101 cases of coronavirus and more than 120 deaths.