France, July 14 -- A record 7,000 military personnel - some in combat gear - have marched down the Champs-Elysees in this year's Bastille Day parade, demonstrating the French military's "operational credibility" in the face of mounting security challenges, notably from Russia. The guest of honour this year is Indonesia.

Troops from Indonesia, the country of honour, led the annual Bastille Day parade which featured more than 7,000 personnel - the largest contingent ever to march down Paris's most famous avenue.

The march came just hours after President Emmanuel Macron warned that "never since 1945 has freedom been so threatened", citing Russia's "lasting threat" to the continent.

General Loic Mizon, Military Governor of Paris, described...