![]() 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. 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.
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