RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE
Russia holds Victory Day Parade on Moscow’s Red Square
A military parade to commemorate the 78th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s Victory over Nazi Germany in the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War took place on Moscow’s Red Square on Tuesday.
The parade began with the march of the Honor Guard’s banner group carrying the Russian national flag and the legendary Victory Banner across Red Square. The Victory Banner was hoisted over the Reichstag by soldiers of the Soviet 150th Idritsa rifle division in May 1945.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, war veterans and guests watched the parade from the central reviewing stand on Red Square. Presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan Alexander Lukashenko, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Sadyr Japarov, Emomali Rahmon, Serdar Berdimuhamedow and Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended the Victory Day Parade on Moscow’s Red Square.
Defense Minister Army General Sergey Shoigu reviewed the military parade commanded by Ground Forces Commander-in-Chief Army General Oleg Salyukov.
This year, Russia’s Victory Day Parade on Moscow’s Red Square involved over 8,000 troops, including 530 fighters of the special military operation in Ukraine, and more than 100 items of military hardware.
This year, the infantry column comprised 30 parade units. A legendary T-34 tank traditionally led the mechanized column at the Victory Day Parade. The military parade’s mechanized column also involved Tigr-M armored vehicles, BTR-82A armored personnel carriers, Bumerang infantry fighting vehicles, Iskander-M tactical missile systems, S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft missile systems and Yars road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launchers. Spartak and 3-STS-Akhmat armored vehicles took part in the military parade for the first time.
The air parade over Moscow’s Red Square did not take place this year.
After the final column of military hardware rolled through Moscow’s Red Square, the consolidated military band returned to the square’s center and completed the military parade by performing the song Pobeda (Victory).
In 2020, the May 9 military parade to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s Victory over Nazi Germany in the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War was rescheduled for June 24 due to the novel coronavirus pandemic and the parade’s airborne part involved 75 aircraft and helicopters. In 2021, the number of aircraft flying over Moscow’s Red Square during the May 9 Victory Day Parade was increased to 76. In 2022, the air parade over Moscow’s Red Square was cancelled due to bad weather.
** Russian forces strike Ukrainian army reserves, ammo depots by precision weapons
Russian forces delivered a massive strike by seaborne and airborne precision weapons against the Ukrainian army’s reserves and ammunition depots, hitting all the designated targets over the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Tuesday.
"During the past night, Russian forces delivered a massive strike by long-range seaborne and airborne precision weapons against the temporary deployment sites of the enemy’s reserves, and also against ammunition depots. All the designated targets were struck. The strikes thwarted the [enemy] reserves’ advance to the areas of combat operations," the spokesman said.
Russian forces destroy 35 Ukrainian troops, artillery gun in Kupyansk area
Russian forces destroyed roughly 35 Ukrainian troops and a motorized artillery system in the Kupyansk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Kupyansk direction, aircraft and artillery from the western battlegroup struck the enemy units in areas near the settlements of Sinkovka and Berestovoye in the Kharkov Region. The enemy’s losses in the past 24 hours amounted to 35 Ukrainian personnel, one tank, two motor vehicles and an Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system," the spokesman said.
Russian forces eliminate 75 Ukrainian troops in Krasny Liman area
Russian forces eliminated roughly 75 Ukrainian troops in the Krasny Liman area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
In the Krasny Liman direction, operational/tactical and army aviation and artillery from Russia’s battlegroup Center struck the enemy manpower and equipment in areas near the settlements of Chervonaya Dibrova and Nevskoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic, the spokesman specified.
"As many as 75 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles, three pickup trucks, a Grad multiple rocket launcher and two D-30 howitzers were destroyed," the general reported.
Russian forces destroy over 400 Ukrainian troops in Donetsk advance
Russian forces destroyed over 400 Ukrainian troops and foreign mercenaries in their advance in the Donetsk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"Over 465 Ukrainian personnel and mercenaries, two tanks, six armored combat vehicles, six motor vehicles, a Grad multiple rocket launcher, two D-20 and two D-30 howitzers were destroyed in that direction in the past 24 hours," the spokesman said.
Russian assault teams continue battles in western Artyomovsk
Russian assault teams continued fighting Ukrainian troops in the western part of Artyomovsk over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the Donetsk direction, the assault teams continued battles in the western part of the city of Artyomovsk. Airborne Force units provided their support, immobilizing the enemy on the flanks," the spokesman said.
Operational/tactical and army aviation and artillery from Russia’s southern battlegroup struck the enemy units in areas near the settlements of Chasov Yar and Bogdanovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the general specified.
"Aircraft flew five sorties in that area in the past 24 hours. The battlegroup’s artillery accomplished 73 firing objectives," Konashenkov reported.
Russian forces destroy over 90 Ukrainian troops in southern Donetsk, Zaporozhye areas
Russian forces destroyed over 90 Ukrainian troops in the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye areas in the past day, he said.
In the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, aircraft and artillery from Russia’s battlegroup East struck the Ukrainian army units in areas near the settlements of Ugledar in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Gulyaipole in the Zaporozhye area, the spokesman specified.
"Over 90 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles, two motor vehicles and a Msta-B howitzer were destroyed in the past 24 hours. In addition, in the area of the settlement of Shcherbaki in the Zaporozhye Region, an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army’s 128th mountain assault brigade was obliterated," the general reported.
Russian forces wipe out Ukrainian ammo depots in DPR, Kherson area
Russian forces destroyed Ukrainian ammunition depots in the Kherson area and the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) over the past day, Konashenkov reported.
"In the area of the settlement of Antonovka in the Kherson Region, an ammunition depot of the 124th territorial defense brigade was destroyed. In the area of the community of Verkhnekamenskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army’s 54th mechanized brigade was obliterated," the spokesman said.
In the Kherson direction, as many as 30 Ukrainian troops, five motor vehicles and two Gvozdika artillery systems were destroyed in the past 24 hours as a result of damage inflicted on the enemy by firepower, the general specified.
"Operational/tactical and army aviation and artillery of the Russian group of forces struck 72 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and military hardware in 94 areas," Konashenkov reported.
Russian air defenses down Ukrainian Su-25 ground attack plane
Russian air defense forces shot down a Ukrainian Su-25 ground attack aircraft and intercepted three rockets and a ballistic missile over the past day, he said.
"Air defense capabilities shot down a Ukrainian Air Force Su-25 plane near the settlement of Belozyorka in the Kherson Region. In the past 24 hours, they also intercepted three rockets of the Uragan and HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems and a Tochka-U tactical missile," the spokesman said.
In addition, Russian air defense systems destroyed ten Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles near the communities of Golikovo in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Spornoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Removka in the Zaporozhye Region, Novaya Mayachka and Belozyorka in the Kherson Region, the general said.
In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 419 Ukrainian combat aircraft, 230 helicopters, 4,052 unmanned aerial vehicles, 421 surface-to-air missile systems, 9,046 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,098 multiple rocket launchers, 4,774 field artillery guns and mortars and 10,077 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.
WESTERN PERSPECTIVE
Russia marks Victory Day with new strikes on Ukraine, but pared-back parade
Russia fired cruise missiles at Kyiv on Tuesday and paraded troops across Moscow's Red Square for its annual celebration of victory in World War Two, pared back amid shortages of manpower and arms at the front after a failed winter campaign in Ukraine.
In a fiery 10-minute speech in front of the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin thundered against "Western global elites" and said civilisation was at "a decisive turning point".
"A real war has been unleashed against our homeland," said the Russian leader, who last year ordered what the West calls an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, destroying cities and killing thousands of civilians.
Underlining how the war has isolated Russia from most of Europe and pushed Ukraine closer to the West, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was visiting Kyiv, where she called Ukraine "the beating heart of today's European values".
The holiday commemorating the Soviet victory in World War Two is the most important day in the calendar in Russia under Putin, who casts his invasion of Ukraine as analogous to Russia's fight against the Nazis. Ukraine, which suffered proportionally greater losses than Russia in World War Two, calls that an abuse of shared history to justify aggression.
The parade was full of traditional pomp but unmistakably scaled down from previous years. In place of phalanxes of modern battle tanks, a single World War Two-vintage T-34 rolled across Red Square. The usual fighter jet flyover was cancelled.
Putin's message was also undermined by a new profanity-laced tirade from the boss of Russia's Wagner private army directed at Moscow's generals for failing to give his forces enough weapons.
"A combat order came yesterday which clearly stated that if we leave our positions (in Bakhmut), it will be regarded as treason against the motherland," Yevgeny Prigozhin said in an audio message. "(But) if there is no ammunition, then we will leave our positions and be the ones asking who is really betraying the Motherland."
MISSILE ATTACKS OVERNIGHT
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Moscow had failed to capture Bakhmut despite a self-imposed deadline to give Putin a battlefield trophy in time for the holiday. Moscow regards capturing Bakhmut as a stepping stone towards taking other cities in Ukraine's industrial east.
Ukraine said its air defences had shot down 23 of 25 Russian cruise missiles fired chiefly at the capital Kyiv overnight, and there were no reported casualties.
Russia's defence ministry said it had "launched a concentrated strike using high-precision, long-range sea and air-based weapons aimed against enemy barracks and ammunition depots".
After a weeks-long hiatus, Russia in late April resumed its tactic of long-range missile strikes against Ukraine and has launched a flurry of attacks in recent days.
The day provided Zelenskiy an opportunity to demonstrate Ukraine's clear break from Moscow by hosting von der Leyen.
"Our efforts for a united Europe, for security and peace, need to be as strong as Russia's desire to destroy our security, our freedom, our Europe," Zelenskiy said at their joint press conference in Kyiv.
Russia's increasing diplomatic isolation has drawn Moscow closer to China, and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Tuesday that Beijing would maintain lines of communication with all parties to the war in Ukraine in seeking a ceasefire.
"As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and responsible major country, China will neither watch the fire from the other bank nor add fuel to the fire," Qin told reporters alongside German counterpart Annalena Baerbock during a visit to Berlin.
European nations have criticised China for declining to describe Russia's sending troops into Ukraine as an invasion or call for a Russian withdrawal.
In Washington, the White House announced a new security package for Ukraine that includes additional air defence systems and artillery rounds.
VICTORY DAY SPEECH
Putin struck a rousing note in his Victory Day speech, saying all of Russia was praying for its heroes at the front and concluding with a cheer for "Russia, for our valiant Armed Forces, for victory!"
After he spoke, a band struck up and cannon fired a salute. Soldiers marched through Red Square followed by armoured vehicles and nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles.
But the Moscow parade was much shorter than usual. Security concerns following attacks including drones that exploded over the Kremlin citadel last week meant parades in some other cities were scaled back or called off. Traditional "Immortal Regiment" processions, in which people carry portraits of relatives who fought against the Nazis, were cancelled.
In Kyiv there were no reported casualties from Russia's latest volley of air strikes on the capital. Debris fell on a house in the Holosiivskyi district in the southwest of Kyiv but caused little damage, Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said. Debris lay in a road in Kyiv's central Shevchenkivskyi district.
"As at the front, the plans of the aggressor failed," said Sergei Popko, head of the Kyiv city military administration.
The Agence France Presse news agency said late on Tuesday one of its video journalists had been killed by rocket fire near Chasiv Yar, 10 km (6 miles) west of Bakhmut.
Russia has stepped up its attacks in anticipation of a Ukrainian counteroffensive, after Moscow's winter campaign captured little territory despite the bloodiest ground combat in Europe since World War Two.
Russia marks the Nazi surrender of May 8, 1945 on the following day, because it took effect when it was already after midnight in Moscow. Ukraine symbolised its break from Moscow on Monday by announcing it was shifting its observance to May 8.
Instead, Kyiv proclaimed May 9 as Europe Day, a date observed by the EU to commemorate the post-war integration movement that led to the founding of the European Union.
"Kyiv, as the capital of Ukraine, is the beating heart of today's European values," von der Leyen said at her news conference with Zelenskiy. "Courageously, Ukraine is fighting for the ideals of Europe that we celebrate today."
TASS/Reuters