Russia marked the 76th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in WWII with parades across the country on Sunday (May 9). Russian President Vladimir Putin watched the display with Soviet war veterans from a review platform in Moscow.
“The war brought about so many unbearable ordeals, grief and tears that this cannot be forgotten. And there is no forgiveness and excuse for those who are again nurturing aggressive plans,” the Russian leader said. Almost a century has passed since “the monstrous Nazi beast was getting brazen and gaining strength in the center of Europe and the slogans of racial and national supremacy sounded increasingly cynically.”
“History requires making conclusions and learning lessons but, regrettably, there are attempts to put much of the ideology of Nazis and those who were obsessed with the delusional theory of their exclusiveness into service again,” Putin added.
The Russian President during his address also vowed that Russia will defend its national interests and denounced what he asserted was the return of “Russophobia.” “We will firmly defend our national interests to ensure the safety of our people,” he said.
The parade on Moscow’s Red Square featured over 12,000 military personnel and more than 190 pieces of military equipment, including intercontinental ballistic missile launchers, as well as 76 fighter jets and helicopters.
A survey this week by state-run pollster VTsIOM showed that 69% of Russians view Victory Day as the most important holiday on the calendar. A third of respondents said they would take part in the celebrations, while a fifth said they would watch on television.
The Red Army was “the main engine of Nazism’s destruction,” writes British historian and journalist Max Hastings in “Inferno: The World at War, 1939-1945.” The Soviet Union paid the harshest price: though the numbers are not exact, an estimated 26 million Soviet citizens died during World War II.
Sunday’s commemorations came as tension with the West are increasing.
We hope things get better for everybody.
This year’s parade also comes as the ruling United Russia party faces parliamentary elections in September.
With reporting by TASS, AFP, Reuters
