Russia and a number of other countries today celebrate the 78th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany. A military parade took place on Red Square in Moscow.
The parade brought together the leaders of seven CIS countries – the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Their intention to come to Moscow became known only the day before.
This is the second year that the celebrations have taken place against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine. On the night of May 3, two drones attacked Putin’s residence in the Kremlin, no one was injured. Russian authorities accused Ukraine of being responsible for the attack. The parade has not been canceled.
In his speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin said a war had been “started” against Russia, blaming “Western globalist elites” and comparing them to the Nazis. According to Putin, they want to “achieve the disintegration and destruction of the country”. Russia during the war in Ukraine, however, according to Putin, “will protect the Donbass and ensure its security”. In general, Putin talked about the war in Ukraine – calling it a special military operation – more than about World War II.
At the same time, Putin mentioned the allies of the USSR in World War II, which he has not done in recent years. Putin also thanked the leaders of the CIS countries who came to the parade.
Victory Day has been used in recent years by Russian authorities to promote their own political goals, including to justify their aggressive policy towards Ukraine. A full-scale war in this country started after the Russian invasion on February 24 last year.
After Putin’s speech, a solemn march began. According to Putin, participants in the current war also participate in it. The T-34 tank led the convoy of vehicles, there were no modern tanks. Rockets were also brought to the square. Overall, the parade was shorter than in previous years, lasting around 50 minutes (including the detour of the troops and Putin’s speech). The aerial part of the parade has been cancelled.
Military parades and mass events have been canceled in more than 20 regions of Russia and annexed Crimea, usually for security reasons. Parades were held in some areas.
In Ukraine this year, Victory Day is officially celebrated on May 8 – as in most European countries (Germany’s surrender came into effect at 23:01 CET on May 8, 1945).
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