At the military parade in Moscow, President Putin is conspicuously short and vague. The abated celebration of Russia’s “Victory Day” raises questions.
MOSCOW – Russia’s traditional May 9 military parade took place in Red Square on Tuesday, despite heightened security concerns after a drone was shot down over the Kremlin last week. However, far less of Russia’s troops and military equipment were on display than in previous years – likely a result of the heavy casualties suffered by Russian forces in Ukraine, including the Moscow Times speculated.
On the 78th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, the traditional parade ended without an air show despite the clear sky. The air show had been canceled several times in recent years due to bad weather. This year, some observers had not expected it anyway – probably in view of the security risks.
Putin’s military shrunk: Russia can announce ‘no good news’
In terms of other military technology, Russia was able to present armored wheeled vehicles in particular. Main battle tanks were absent, with the exception of the historic T-34. Battle tanks are traditionally part of the parade. There was initially no official explanation for her absence this year. In recent years, Moscow showed the latest tank model called Armata (T-14) at the parade. According to Russian media reports in April, Russia’s military is currently using it for the first time in the Ukraine war – which may explain its absence from the military parade.
As expected, President Vladimir Putin delivered a speech calling for continued support for the military and sharply criticizing Western countries. He spoke of a “war” against Russia that the West had caused. A distortion of facts, as NATO General a. D. Egon Ramms in the TV station Phoenix commented. Compared to previous years, Putin’s speech also “remained relatively vague”, probably because there was “no good news to announce”, added Eastern Europe expert Roman Goncharenko from the Deutsche Welle added.
Putin allies in Moscow: “Amazing” – and maybe not entirely voluntarily
Despite this – or perhaps precisely because of this – Putin emphasized the unity among the CIS states, i.e. the Commonwealth of Independent States. In this context, he highlighted the presence of some CIS heads of state at the parade in Moscow, such as those of Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
Ina Ruck, WDR foreign correspondent for many years, found it “astonishing” that a total of seven representatives of the CIS partners had traveled there and added: “The big question is whether they all did so voluntarily”. Many are certainly forced to come as they are dependent on Russia. At the end of his speech, Putin strongly emphasized that the countries were on the same side as Moscow. Ruck comments: “Whether everyone who was there with him really likes it,” remains uncertain.
The “victory mania” in Russia: impressions are deceptive
That is probably one of the reasons why Putin maintained the comparison of the Ukraine war with the Second World War. The WDR correspondent felt that the local people had to be reminded again and again that they were supposedly fighting Nazis. However, survey results from Russia are deceptive. According to the report, up to 80 percent of the population approved of Moscow’s military actions. Although Ruck assumed a majority of supporters, she had serious doubts about figures of this magnitude.
Putin was able to benefit from Russia’s “victory mania” for many years, she says star-Russia expert Ellen Ivits. But this year, during the parade, there was a “terrifying silence” over Moscow. According to her observation, the otherwise seen “celebrating crowds” did not materialize.
The seven heads of state from the former Soviet republics who were present also “wore grumpy expressions,” Ivits judged. And in the ranks of the marching soldiers, it was mainly young cadets who made the losses of the Russian army clear: 16-year-old boys were marching instead of professional soldiers. (n / A)
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