However, the western elite and globalists are insisting on their exceptional character,' he said. We believe that any ideology of supremacy is not acceptable to us. 'We want to see our future peaceful and stable.
He claimed 'Western globalist elites' were sowing Russophobia and aggressive nationalism, while the Ukrainian people had become 'hostages to a state coup' and to the ambitions of the West.ĭespite ordering his troops across the border in February last year and repeatedly attacking civilian centres in Ukraine, Putin claimed he wants peace. Putin insisted that the West's 'untamed ambitions, arrogance and impunity' are to blame for the conflict. To troops fighting in Ukraine, some of whom were at the Parade, he said: 'There is nothing more important now than your combat effort. The security of the country rests on you today, the future of our statehood and our people depend on you.' 'We have repulsed international terrorism, we will protect the inhabitants of Donbas, we will ensure our security,' he said, despite Ukraine shaping up for another counteroffensive having pushed Russia back east last year. State television showed Putin stood next to World War II veterans as he delivered his 10-minute speech, in which he repeated familiar messages he has delivered many times in the nearly 15 months of Russia's war in Ukraine. Authorities curbed the use of drones and ride-sharing services in Moscow and even jet skis on the canals of St. Russia also enacted a major security clampdown for the commemorations. Even the parade in 2020, the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, featured some 13,000 soldiers, and last year, 11,000 troops took part. Only some 8,000 troops marched in Red Square this year - the lowest number since 2008. The Kremlin billed it as an attempt at Putin's life Ukraine denied involvement. The pared-down celebrations come after ambiguous official reports last week that two Ukrainian drones flew into the heart of Moscow under the cover of darkness and reached the Kremlin before being shot down. For the first time in years, the parade ended in under an hour. The only model that appeared in the parade was the T-34, which was used in the Second World War.Īs such, the parade looked more modest than usual: There were no military aircraft flying over Red Square, and fewer pieces of military equipment were displayed. Observers noted, however, that few Russian tanks were on display. Hundreds of uniformed soldiers then began their parade, marching through Moscow's famous square.ĭozens of military vehicles - including armoured personnel carriers, trucks and intercontinental ballistic missile launchers - also rolled through the city. Pictures from Moscow showed Putin arriving and shaking hands with military officials, before delivering his speech. In a major coup for the Kremlin, at least six post-Soviet leaders including the prime minister of Armenia and the president of Kazakhstan travelled to attend the military parade that fetes the Soviet victory in 1945.
'To Russia! To our brave armed forces! To Victory!' Putin concluded in his speech.Īs the Russian President's address came to a close, cheers rang out across Red Square, with a gun salute and the Russian national anthem, though with a much slimmed down show of military hardware - and no aviation.Īnd in a stark contrast to previous years which have seen Moscow roll out its latest and most sophisticated war machines, today saw just a single tank take part - a Second World War-era T-34. With snipers watching the crowd closely, he welcomed soldiers fighting in Ukraine who were present at the parade, and framed his on-going illegal invasion as being akin to the Soviet fight against Nazi Germany in the Second World War, which came to an end 78 years ago - a false narrative that has nevertheless resonated at home. A real war has been unleashed against our motherland,' he said in a reference to his ongoing invasion that the Kremlin portrays as being a proxy conflict with the West. 'Civilisation is once again at a decisive turning point. It came just hours after another barrage of cruise missiles hit several sites across Ukraine. In his speech, watched by scores of uniformed soldiers, military officials and leaders of former Soviet nations, Putin claimed that Russia wants peace while accusing the 'western elite' of waging a 'real war' against his invading troops. Russia sent out just one aged tank for its Victory Day parade on Moscow's Red Square today as Vladimir Putin's depleted military continues to suffer losses in Ukraine.
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