Russia stages its annual Victory Day parade on Red Square on Tuesday (May 9) amid particularly tight security after a series of drone attacks, including on the Kremlin citadel, symbolic heart of the Russian state, that Moscow has blamed on Ukraine.
Victory Day is a key anniversary for President Vladimir Putin, who often evokes the spirit and sacrifice that helped the Soviet Union defeat Nazi Germany in 1945 to kindle Russians’ sense of patriotism, especially since launching what he calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine on Feb 24, 2022.
But several Russian regions have already scaled back events, citing concerns that they could be targeted by pro-Ukrainian saboteurs. And in Moscow, there appeared to be fewer military personnel and less military hardware involved in rehearsals for the parade, though residents wanted it to go ahead as always.
“I think we need to hold (the parade) to boost patriotism among people as it is fluctuating due to the special military operation,” said Andrei Kucheryavykh, a resident of Belgorod near the Ukrainian border, visiting Moscow with his son.
“People have to know what our great-grandfathers, our grandfathers and grandmothers went through … as many are beginning to forget what May 9 is and what it stands for.”
The Soviet Union lost 27 million people in World War Two, more than any other country.
