On Tuesday, troops parade through Red Square, and President Vladimir Putin will praise his war in Ukraine. However, Russia's Victory Day celebrations will highlight its vulnerability and military frailty rather than its strength.
The nation's annual commemoration of the defeat of Nazi Germany occurs nearly 15 months into its bloody invasion of its neighbor and just days after an alleged drone attack on the Kremlin and the public escalation of a bitter feud between its top leaders ahead of an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive.
Russia Marks Scaled-Back Victory Day
Even though Kyiv has denied involvement in the enigmatic incident and mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin appears to have retracted his threat to withdraw from a key battle, Putin's Russia will observe the holiest day of the year in a growing cloud of uncertainty.
Per NBC News, the high-profile conflict over the seizure of Bakhmut exemplifies the absence of any symbolic victory from a costly winter offensive. In addition, a spate of explosives has struck strategic targets deep within Russia and several prominent pro-war figures in recent months, fueling a growing sense of disquiet regarding the safety of Russian-controlled territory, from the capital to Crimea.
It has prompted authorities in some regions to scale back or cancel military parades that would ordinarily attract massive audiences. Red Square was closed to the public for two weeks before the event, ostensibly to protect the high-profile event in the capital's center from any security threats.
Moscow has also outlawed the use of civilian drones, and ride-sharing services are prohibited in the city center due to what the Kremlin claims was an assassination attempt on Putin by Ukrainian agents.
Vladimir Putin's Victory Day Speech
President Vladimir Putin told Russians on the anniversary of the country's victory over Nazi Germany that the world is at a pivotal juncture and that they are engaged in a patriotic struggle for the survival of their country.
According to Reuters, Putin delivered a 10-minute speech on the Red Square in which he reiterated familiar messages he had delivered numerous times during Russia's nearly 15-month conflict in Ukraine.
According to him, "Western globalist elites" promote Russophobia and aggressive nationalism, while the Ukrainian people have become "hostages of a state revolution" and Western ambitions. He did not address Russia's challenges as its forces prepared for an anticipated significant Ukrainian counteroffensive, nor did he delineate a path to victory.
The speech, followed by a massive military parade on Red Square, occurred in response to a spate of strikes inside Russia this month, including an alleged drone attack on the Kremlin citadel less than a week ago. Per Washington Post via MSN, many mass events were suspended due to security concerns due to last week's Kremlin drone attack and an impending Ukrainian counteroffensive.
This is the first public event that Putin attended since Moscow's shocking accusation last week that Ukraine sent two drones flying toward the Kremlin fortress in what Russian officials termed an "assassination attempt" on their leader - a claim that political and military experts widely discredit.
Even before the drones exploded by what is supposed to be one of the most secure buildings in the country, regional officials were apprehensive about holding large public events during the Ukraine conflict, which Russians increasingly feel at home after a series of unexplained fires and explosions.
At least 20 cities across Russia canceled their Victory Day parades, citing a desire not to "provoke the adversary with large amounts of equipment and military personnel" or a fear that returning Russian soldiers might perceive the sound of pyrotechnics "in a completely different manner."
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