Russian President Vladimir Putin watches a military parade on Victory Day, marking the 77th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, at Red Square in central Moscow, Russia May 9, 2022.
Mikhail Metzel | Sputnik | Reuters
Russia kicked off its 79th “Victory Day” military parade on Thursday as the war with Ukraine entered its third year.
The annual event on May 9 commemorates the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II and sees thousands of Russian soldiers and military hardware marching through Red Square in Moscow, along with other events held throughout Russia.
The parade is an opportunity not only for pomp, pride and ceremony but also for propaganda, with the Kremlin keen to draw comparisons between the Red Army’s victory in 1945 and the current conflict in Ukraine is now entering its third year.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, commander-in-chief of the Russian armed forces, is inspecting the 21st military parade with more than 9,000 people and 70 pieces of equipment on display.
Russian paratroopers march during the Victory Day Red Square Parade on May 9, 2023 in Moscow, Russia. Moscow celebrates Victory Day with a military parade following a new wave of attacks across Ukraine.
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“The foot column includes regiments, battalions and companies by type and military branch, crews from Suvorov [military school]Nakhimov [naval school]cadet and musical schools, military men and women — soldiers, Cossacks [cadets] and a combined military orchestra”, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told Russian news agencies last week.
He said participants in a “special military operation” – code for Russia’s war against Ukraine – would also march this year. The parade ended with a flyover performance by aerobatic teams of the Russian Air Force.
The Defense Minister said that other cities across Russia are also holding ceremonies and celebrations with an estimated 150,000 people and 2,500 types of weapons and military equipment participating.
Yars ballistic missiles participate in a rehearsal for the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Russia, May 7, 2022.
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Relations deteriorated with the West
Russia’s relations with the West were already deteriorating before it invaded Ukraine in February 2022 but the rifts have deepened since then. As a result of the war, international sanctions against Russia have multiplied and entrenched and divided global alliances have increasingly emerged, pitting NATO countries against Russia and its allies, such as North Korea, Iran and China.
A woman looks over the rubble of a building destroyed by a bomb in the town of Kostyantynivka, Donetsk region, on April 11, 2024, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Anatolii STEPANOV/AFP) (Photo by ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP via Getty Images)
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Moscow claims that the West wants to inflict a “strategic defeat” on Moscow, but Ukraine’s allies reject that claim, saying they are helping Kiev defend itself against unprovoked aggression and territorial seizures. Russian territory. 30,000 Ukrainian civilians died or were injured (this number may be conservative) and created more than six million refugees, according to United Nations data
Russian interests
This year’s parade comes as Russian forces are growing in strength in eastern Ukraine, according to military officials, with another large-scale offensive expected in early summer. .
Over the past few weeks, Ukrainian forces have been forced to retreat in several areas, opening the way for Russian forces to advance in the areas around Avdiivka in Donetsk, a city captured in February in a key victory. of Russia. On Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that two more villages had been captured (Russia uses the term “liberated”) in Donetsk and the neighboring region to the north, Kharkiv.
Before Victory Day, Ukrainian military officials announced that Russian forces had aiming to capture the strategic town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk by May 9, but that hasn’t happened yet. Seizing the city on high ground could help Russian forces launch attacks on other important targets, including the so-called “fortress cities” of Kostiantynivka, Druzhkivka, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.
Time is of the essence for Russian forces as they seek to capture more territory before Ukrainian forces can replenish dwindling supplies of artillery and ammunition following a $61 billion aid package of the US was approved in April.
But manpower remains a problem for Ukraine, while Russia has been able to mobilize hundreds of thousands of people to fight in Ukraine, from prisoners to conscripts. When asked during his annual phone call in December whether there would be another wave of mobilization, Putin was dismissive: claimed that 480,000 men had voluntarily signed up to fight.
Russia has used its superiority in manpower to deadly effect, with fighting in eastern Ukraine often described as a “meat grinder” as waves of Russian soldiers were used to overwhelmed Ukrainian forces.
Russia and Ukraine have not released official death toll figures since the beginning of the war, but a declassified US intelligence report in December showed that the war has cost Russia at least 315,000 soldiers dead. and injured. NBC News reported.
