‘You can’t miss with this’: Putin fires HOWITZER in St. Petersburg (VIDEO)
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has visited the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, firing the traditional daily howitzer shot, which marks noon.
Putin has routinely got up-close and personal with various arms – from fighter jets to high-power sniper rifles. This time, Russia’s president got his hands on one of the two D-30 howitzers located in – the St. Petersburg stronghold – the Peter and Paul Fortress.
“You’ve scored a hit,” the onlookers exclaimed as Putin fired the howitzer.
“Certainly, you can’t miss with this,” the president replied.
The round, however, was merely a blank, since the two howitzers are used solely for ceremonial firing. The tradition of making the daily ‘midday shot’ in the fortress dates back to the 19th century. As a rule, only one howitzer is fired, while the second one is in reserve. Yet, on special occasions, both guns are used, sometimes even firing in volleys.
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