Wednesday’s upcoming events for the celebration of the new Russian president are causing quite a significant hype. President Vladimir Putin will take five after eight years of duty, but will still be in control as prime minister.

The presidential inauguration of Dmitry Medvedev is set for May 7 in Moscow and is going to involve a large military parade with an unprecedented display of the country’s military arsenal. The tanks and intercontinental missiles haven’t been included in any kind of event since the collapse of the URRS in 1991.

Mr. Putin explained during today’s parade rehearsal that the weapons will not be present as a sign of threat or intimidation. According to BBC News, he explained: "We do not threaten anyone and do not intend to do so. It's a demonstration of our growing capabilities in the defense sphere. We are capable of protecting our people, citizens, our state and our wealth."

The rehearsal also involved many fighter jets circling over the Red Square. The city center was mostly closed down by police officers who need to prepare a proper surveillance and easy access for the hundreds of VIPs attending the event.

Agence France-Presse quoted the popular daily newspaper Izvestia, which said that the event is intended to send a message to the world. The military parade "can be taken as a call for the rebirth of our army... and as a signal to our partners in NATO who are moving their bases towards Russian borders,” presenting a slightly different approach to the subject.