“Today, civilization is again at a crucial turning point,” Putin told thousands of soldiers in Moscow’s Red Square on Tuesday. “A real war has been unleashed against our fatherland,” he added, referring to the battles against Ukraine that he himself ordered more than a year ago. The Western elite sows hatred and Russophobia. “They are trying to destroy our country,” Putin claimed.
“But we defeated international terrorism, we will protect the residents of Donbas and we will ensure our security,” said the head of state. Even more than a year after the beginning of the war, until the very end in Moscow there was usually only talk of a “military special operation”.
State guests present
In addition to Putin, the leaders of Russian politics and foreign heads of state allied with Russia could be seen – namely from the ex-Soviet republics of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Armenia.
This year’s celebrations commemorating the victory over Nazi Germany are marked by the setbacks of the Russian offensive in Ukraine. According to the Kremlin, they are taking place “under great security precautions”. According to official information, around 8,000 soldiers are deployed in Red Square – apparently including men who have fought in Ukraine in recent months.
Speculations about parade
Especially after a drone incident at the Kremlin, people have been asked again and again in the past few days whether the parade will actually take place or whether it will be canceled for security reasons. On Wednesday night, two drones reached the Kremlin premises.
Military parades in Russia
On May 9, Russia commemorates the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Several military parades are planned, but celebrations are limited this year due to the war against Ukraine.
They were able to be brought down by anti-aircraft defenses over the dome of the Senate Palace. Moscow holds Kiev responsible for the alleged attempted assassination of Putin. State media published video sequences intended to show the drones. Ukraine rejected this and spoke of a Russian staging to once again present itself as a victim.
However, the traditional march “Immortal Regiment”, which is usually held after the parade, was canceled for this year in Moscow. According to media reports, the parades themselves have also been canceled in more than 20 other Russian cities because of the high security risk. In the past few weeks, there have been attacks, especially in southern Russia and on the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea.
