During the Cold War, spying on the Soviet Union was no easy task. The USSR was notoriously secretive, and they were very good at keeping America in the dark about their military capabilities. Except when they would host those epic parades in Moscow.

Big military parades were the USSR’s way of showing its citizens and the world how tough it was. It also gave US spy satellites and spies on the ground a great peek at Russia’s latest military hardware. This is what happens when you brag too much.