On Tuesday, Russia marked the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II with a parade on Red Square amid increased security following a series of drone attacks, including on the Kremlin itself, for which Moscow blames Ukraine. This is happening against the backdrop of ongoing fierce fighting on the fronts with Ukraine.
Victory Day is one of the most important public holidays in Russia, and Russians celebrate the great sacrifices made by the Soviet Union during the so-called Great Patriotic War between 1941 and 1945, which claimed the lives of some 27 million citizens.
The anniversary takes on a different dimension this year as Russia commemorates thousands of soldiers killed in a 15-month war in Ukraine that shows no signs of ending.
Russia is also facing drone attacks, including a May 3 attack on the Kremlin that it says was an attempt to assassinate President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine denies involvement and is expected to launch a counterattack soon to seize the territory.
Putin often compares the war in Ukraine to the challenge the Soviet Union faced after Hitler’s 1941 Nazi invasion. Putin describes the war as a battle against Nazi-inspired nationalists.
Kiev calls this absurd and accuses Russia of behaving in the manner of Nazi Germany after unnecessarily unleashing a war of aggression and taking control of Ukrainian lands.
Putin, the Russian Defense Minister and other senior officials are expected to witness the parade on Red Square, which usually includes tanks, ICBMs and infantry.
But authorities have canceled flights, reflecting tight security measures, in part due to drone attacks. Reports also indicated that fewer soldiers and military equipment participated in the parade this year because the Ukrainian war is heavily draining people and equipment.
And the authorities canceled marches in which people carry photographs of their relatives who fought against Nazism.
Putin will deliver a speech in Red Square, where he will be joined by the leaders of several former Soviet republics. In his speech last year, Putin did not mention Ukraine, but criticized NATO for expanding to Russia’s borders and praised the heroism of the Soviets in resisting Hitler.
Finland, bordering Russia, joined NATO.
Asked about the cancellation of some Victory Day events, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov blamed Ukraine, saying: “When we really have to deal with a state sponsoring terrorism, it’s better to take preventive measures.”
In addition to the attack on the Kremlin complex, Moscow also accuses Ukraine of being responsible for last week’s drone strikes on fuel depots, freight trains and several sites in Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
Moscow blames Kyiv and the West for Saturday’s explosion, which wounded prominent Russian nationalist writer Zakhar Berlebin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky angered Russia on Monday by announcing that his country would commemorate the anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany on May 8, just like Western countries, in a rejection of Ukraine’s Soviet past.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called Zelensky a “traitor” and said he betrayed the memory of Ukrainians who died fighting the Nazis.
