“It’s our own holiday, a sacred holiday for Russia and all Russians,” he said.īut Putin was accompanied at the parade on Red Square in 2017 by Moldovan President Igor Dodon and by Kazakhstan head of state Nursultan Nazarbayev the year before. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said last month that no foreign leaders were invited to the Victory Day parade this year because it was not a round-number anniversary – unlike in 2005, or 2010. Unlike previous years, Victory Day events will be held in the absence of foreign leaders. This has been denied by top Russian officials.Įither way, many Russians – particularly those who fled the country at the beginning of the invasion because of political persecution or conscription – will be watching events on May 9 closely for a sign of how the war will unfold in the coming months. Western officials and observers have warned that the Kremlin may even be planning to announce a mobilization of reservists or civilians on May 9 in order to boost the country’s flagging military campaign in Ukraine that is reportedly hampered by problems that include a lack of infantry. About 27 million Soviet citizens were killed in four years of conflict.Īt the same time as showcasing Russia’s role in the defeat of Nazism, celebrations this year have been designed to bolster recruitment into the Armed Forces by motivating Russians to “continue the deeds and victories of their ancestors,” according to Edwards. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly spoken out against Western countries that seem not to appreciate the Soviet contribution to the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. “Speeches will focus on drawing parallels between the Soviet Union’s war against Nazi Germany and how Russia is ‘alone’ in their fight against contemporary Nazism in Ukraine,” said Allyson Edwards, an expert on Russian militarism at Britain’s University of Warwick. While the number of planes expected to take part in the Moscow flypast is slightly higher than last year, the numbers of infantry and equipment are lower.Ĭompared to about 191 military vehicles and about 12,000 military personnel in 2021, this year there will be only 129 military vehicles and 10,000 personnel, according to information published Friday by Russia’s Defense Ministry. Given the absence of significant military gains in Ukraine, the Kremlin is expected to reorient this year’s event to justify the invasion of Ukraine.Īmong other pro-war additions, a group of fighter jets is expected to fly over central Moscow in the shape of a “Z”, a popular symbol of support for Russian troops in Ukraine. Russia’s annual May 9 celebrations, also known as Victory Day, mark the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in 1945 and have been increasingly used by President Vladimir Putin as a means to promote patriotic unity and showcase the country’s military might. “The reduction of the parade shows that the Russian government is both aware of the losses and is trying to manage how to deal with them.” “This is one of the few times when Russia is conducting a conventional war at its borders at the same time as having the parade,” Aglaya Snetkov, an expert in Russian foreign policy at University College London told The Moscow Times. In particular, the set piece military parade on Moscow’s Red Square will see significantly fewer soldiers and equipment compared to last year, which experts have linked to significant losses sustained by Russia in its ongoing war in neighboring Ukraine. The country also sees the NATO alliance between the US and European nations as a regional military aggression.Russia will mark Monday the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazism amid expectations that ongoing fighting in Ukraine will cast a long shadow over the popular event. Russia is currently heavily involved in the Syrian conflict, using its air power to prop up the regime of embattled President Bashar al-Assad. Dear friends, as the Second World War recedes in history, we are obliged to make sure that stability throughout the world is observed.” “Russia will always be on the side in the world of those who fight against these scourges. We are strengthening that,” Putin said at the parade in Moscow’s Red Square. “Our forces are capable of repelling any kind of attack, but to efficiently combat terrorism, Nazism, extremism, what we need is the consolidation of international community. But he also called for international unity in the fight against terrorism. In his remarks, Putin said that World War II taught Russia to be vigilant and ready for any assault. In 2016, Russia spent over $69 billion on its military. Russia is the world’s third largest military spender after the US and China. A Russian Yars RS-24 intercontinental ballistic missile system on display at Red Square on Tuesday.
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