Russian President Vladimir Putin offers a speech through the Victory Day army parade at Red Square in central Moscow on May 9, 2023

Gavril Grigorov/SPUTNIK/AFP through Getty Images

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Gavril Grigorov/SPUTNIK/AFP through Getty Images

Russian President Vladimir Putin offers a speech through the Victory Day army parade at Red Square in central Moscow on May 9, 2023

Gavril Grigorov/SPUTNIK/AFP through Getty Images

Russian President Vladimir Putin assailed the West for unleashing a “real war” towards Russia — because the Kremlin chief sought to hyperlink occasions in Ukraine with ceremonies marking the 78th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany.

Russia’s Victory Day ceremony historically echoes the grand army parades of the Soviet period, but was scaled again amid the warfare in Ukraine.

The televised parade featured hundreds of goose-stepping Russian troopers however restricted army {hardware}.

Just one tank — a WWII-era Soviet T-34 mannequin — rumbled throughout Red Square.

Only a smattering of international leaders attended — all of them coming from former Soviet republics nonetheless nominally aligned with Moscow.

In his tackle, Putin drew parallels between the Soviet victory in 1945 and Russian forces battling what he referred to as a “cult of Nazism” at present in Ukraine.

“Civilization again finds itself at a decisive, critical moment. A real war has again been launched against our motherland,” stated Putin.

As if to underscore the comparability, Putin famous Russian servicemen and army households from the Kremlin’s so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine had been in attendance alongside WWII veterans.

“Today, the security of our country depends on you,” stated Putin in remarks directed at these preventing in Ukraine. “The future of our statehood and our people depends on you.”

Just hours earlier than the ceremony, Russia launched a wave of airstrikes towards Ukraine’s capital Kyiv — with Ukrainian authorities claiming to have shot down 23 of 25 missiles.

Putin additionally acknowledged the position of the U.S. and different western allies in serving to defeat Hitler’s armies — whilst he accused the “western elites” of forgetting Russia’s sacrifice and now in search of the nation’s destruction with their unstinting assist of Ukraine.

Security was a serious concern — with the parade coming simply days after two drones exploded contained in the Kremlin partitions. Moscow claimed it as an “assassination attempt” on President Putin.

Russia blamed the assault on Ukraine and the U.S. Both Kyiv and Washington deny any involvement.

Meanwhile, regional Russian leaders referred to as off army parades in no less than 20 cities amid considerations over public security nicely forward of the vacation.

The Kremlin additionally cancelled the “Immortal Regiment” — a nationwide march during which Russians honor the greater than 20 million Soviets who died within the warfare by marching with photos of deceased kin.

Government critics have advised the Kremlin cancelled the occasion to keep away from the optics of Russians holding photos of contemporary day troopers killed in Ukraine.