Thousands cheer

Putin celebrates victory with military parade in Moscow

Here, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin delivers his speech at the military parade.

(Bild: APA/AFP/POOL/Mikhail KLIMENTYEV)

Overshadowed by the war of aggression against Ukraine, the traditional military parade to commemorate the Soviet victory in the Second World War took place in the Russian capital Moscow. President Vladimir Putin, who officially began his fifth term in office just a few days ago, was also present on Red Square on Thursday morning in cold weather of around zero degrees and light snowfall. And he once again addressed threatening words to the West ...

The Soviet Union's victory over Hitler's Germany was 79 years ago. But Putin is increasingly using the commemoration of World War II to present the war he has ordered against Ukraine as an alleged continuation of the fight against fascism.

As part of the celebrations, Kremlin leader Putin once again invoked his country's readiness to fight and threatened to deploy nuclear forces. These are "always on alert", Putin assured on Thursday at the start of the annual celebrations for the 79th Victory Day at the large military parade on Red Square in Moscow.

Here, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin delivers his speech.

(Bild: APA/AFP/POOL/Mikhail KLIMENTYEV)

Russia will "do everything to avoid a global confrontation", he said. "At the same time, we will not allow anyone to threaten us."

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Thousands of soldiers marched across Red Square
Thousands of soldiers traditionally march across Red Square during the parade to commemorate the end of the Second World War, accompanied by tanks, fighter jets and rocket launchers. According to Russian media, more than 9,000 soldiers took part in the parade. This year too, the traditional military parade is marked by the Russian military deployment in Ukraine, which Putin ordered in February 2022.

Fun fact: one of the participants lost a shoe during the parade:

Putin speaks of "hypocrisy" and "lies"
At the military parade, Putin also once again made accusations against the West. The latter was trying to distort the memory of the Soviet victory. The truth disturbs "those who base their colonial policies on hypocrisy and lies", said the Russian president. "Revanchism, the mockery of history, the effort to justify today's imitators of the Nazis - this is part of the general policy of Western elites to constantly ignite new regional conflicts, ethnic or religious conflicts."

Russian military vehicles in the center of Moscow

(Bild: APA/AFP/POOL/Maksim BLINOV)

The Second World War ended 79 years ago with the surrender of the German Wehrmacht. In Western Europe, the event is commemorated on May 8, in Russia and other former states of the Soviet Union on May 9.

The parade was led by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The traditional parades were also held in some other places, but in many cities they were canceled this year for security reasons - including in the Bryansk and Kursk regions bordering Ukraine.

Injured in air raid on Russian Belgorod region
The air raids on the Russian region of Belgorod, which continued into Thursday night, show just how necessary these steps by the Kremlin were. According to Russian reports, at least eight people were injured and numerous houses and cars were damaged. Among the injured was an eleven-year-old girl who was taken to hospital, the governor of the region bordering Ukraine announced on Thursday. In the Russian region of Krasnodar, a Ukrainian drone attack triggered a fire at a refinery.

Around six drones were shot down, but debris fell on the refinery near the village of Jurowka and caused a fire, the regional administration announced on Thursday via the short messaging service Telegram. Several tanks were damaged.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian air defense systems destroyed 17 of 20 Russian drones over the Odessa region. This was announced by the Ukrainian air force via the short message service Telegram. There were initially no reports of damage or casualties.