Troops paraded through Red Square and President Vladimir Putin extolled his war in Ukraine on Tuesday, but the pared-back celebrations saw Russia’s cherished Victory Day showcase its vulnerability and military weakness, rather than its might.
The country’s annual holiday marking the defeat of Nazi Germany comes nearly 15 months after its own bloody invasion of its neighbor, and just days after an alleged drone attack on the Kremlin, as well as the public escalation of a bitter dispute between the top military leaders ahead. of an anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive.
Although kyiv has denied involvement in the mysterious incident, events across the country were scaled back over security fears and mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin renewed his rhetorical attack on Kremlin top brass, claiming the holiest day on the calendar for Putin’s Russia took place under a growing shadow.
Putin said in his speech that «a real war» has been waged against Russia, once again framing its invasion as a response to the «exorbitant ambitions» of the West.
But for all his bombastic language and efforts to rally public support, there were growing signs of unrest within the Russian ranks.
Shortly after the parade, Prigozhin criticized the Russian Defense Ministry for failing to provide its fighters with ammunition, after vowing to withdraw its forces from a key battle last week. He questioned the state’s ability to defend the country and the wisdom of holding the festivities in the midst of a brutal conflict.
The high-profile clash over the fight to capture Bakhmut illustrates the lack of victory symbolic of a costly winter advance on the battlefield. In addition, a wave of explosions has hit strategic targets deep inside Russia and several prominent pro-war figures in recent months, fueling a growing sense of unease over the security of territory Russia controls, from the capital to Crimea.
It prompted authorities in many regions to reduce or cancel military parades that normally draw large crowds.
Red Square was closed to the public for two weeks ahead of the occasion, in an apparent move to prevent any security threat to the high-profile event in the heart of the capital. Moscow also banned the use of civilian drones and ride-sharing services were not available in the city center, with security fears taking on new urgency over what the Kremlin says was Ukraine’s assassination attempt on Putin. .
The «Immortal Regiment» procession, in which hundreds of thousands of Russians march with the portraits of family members who fought against Nazi Germany every Victory Day, moved online with people being asked to share photos of veterans on social media, buildings and cars instead.
Some activists and analysts have suggested that the authorities may also have feared a potent display of the effects of the current war, especially if families brought back portraits of the many dead in Ukraine.