It was a subdued parade that took place today in Red Square in Moscow . Soldiers in colored uniforms marched under the sun and Vladimir Putin gave his speech, as is tradition for May 9, the anniversary of the victory over the Nazis and an opportunity to "awaken" the patriotism of the Russians.
Yet it was nothing of all that many expected: no coup de theater and no breakthrough in the conflict with Ukraine.
The fighters had to pass through the skies but officially "due to the weather conditions" they did not show up, yet it was clear.
On the other hand, an absence was noted : that of General Valery Gerasimov, the Chief of Staff.
Putin - who wore a tie that would be of Marinella, a famous Neapolitan tailoring brand - reached the tomb of the unknown soldier and placed flowers there, as he did on each of the stems that recall the martyr cities of the resistance to the Nazi invasion, including Kiev. Finally, in the afternoon, the march of the Immortal Regiment.
"Comrades officers, non-commissioned officers, generals and admirals, I congratulate you on the 77th anniversary of the great victory. Even now in these days you are fighting for our people in Donbass, for the safety of our homeland", said the Russian president opening his long-awaited speech to celebrate with the Russian people the defeat of Hitler's Germany at the hands of the Red Army .
With the attack on Ukraine, Moscow responded to " a direct threat near the Russian borders ", he said, because " an attack had been prepared, including on Crimea". "Russia has always been in favor of creating an indivisible security system, but NATO did not want to listen to us," he added. "The aggression in our historic Crimean lands was a threat to our borders, inadmissible for us. The danger grew every day, ours was a preventive act, a necessary and absolutely right decision". Yet, he stressed, " the horror of a global war must not be repeated ".
" Only a madman can hope to repeat the 2194 days of war " of World War II: "the one who is repeating today the horrific crimes of the Hitler regime, following the philosophy of the Nazis and replicating everything they did. He is doomed. Why? Why? he was cursed by millions of ancestors when he began to imitate their killer. And then he will lose everything. " Thus Zelensky , in a 5-minute video shot while walking through the streets of Kiev, spoke of Vladimir Putin, without ever naming him but actually comparing him to Hitler.
Thousands of soldiers and about 130 vehicles , even the most modern, parade at the traditional parade, such as a fifth generation fighter, long-range bombers and the largest transport helicopter in the world, the Mi-2. For the first time, eight jets will fly over Red Square in a "Z" line , in honor of the military engaged in Ukraine.
After 12 years , the huge Il-80 reappears, known as the "Flying Kremlin" , intended to house the Russian command in the event of a nuclear war.
Mini parade also in Mariupol , the port city occupied by Russian forces where the Ukrainian resistance fights only in the Azovstal steel mill. At the head of the parade Denis Pushilin, head of the self-proclaimed republic of Donetsk , and behind a huge and long gray and orange cloth that covers the entire street. There are no military vehicles, but only people for the most part in civilian clothes who hold the cloth on the side of the road, sing and wave some red flags.
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The day by the hour:
New strong explosions in the evening in Odessa
Ukrainian authorities have announced that there was a missile attack on Odessa in the evening. This was reported by the BBC, stating that three loud explosions were heard from the city center. The first was loud enough to shake the windows and set off the alarms of nearby cars. It would have been three Kinzhal missiles launched from a Russian Tu-22 aircraft. The Ukrainian agency Ukrinform writes, specifying that the missiles injured two people and destroyed five tourist infrastructure buildings. This was announced by the press service of the Odessa city council on Telegram.
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Biden and Draghi will talk about sanctions on Russia
US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Mario Draghi "will talk about how to continue to impose sanctions on Putin and Russia and how to continue helping the Ukrainians". The spokesperson of the White House, Jen Psaki, said in a press briefing about the arrival of the Italian premier tomorrow. The two leaders "will also talk about bilateral cooperation in various fields", he reiterated.
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USA, “Nazis in Ukraine? Ridiculous Putin "
“Putin's statements that there are Nazis in Ukraine are ridiculous. There are Ukrainians in Ukraine ”: Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a press briefing. "We have indications that the Ukrainians were brought from Ukraine to Russia against their will," added Kirby, noting that Russian forces are committing "war crimes". However, the Defense Department did not specify the number of Ukrainians it believes have been deported to Russia.
Ukraine: "US believes Russian troops do not obey orders"
Senior Pentagon officials believe, based on anecdotal reports, that Russian soldiers and "intermediate officers at various levels, including battalion" have either "refused to obey orders or are not obeying with the alacrity one would expect from an officer. "in the conflict in Ukraine. The Guardian reports it. The Pentagon has long been repeating that morale among Russian troops is low.
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Macron: "Supporting Kiev but protecting the EU from the conflict"
The situation in Europe with the war in Ukraine "worries us deeply". This was said by French President Emmanuel Macron in Berlin with Olaf Scholz. "We are facing a challenge for our generation, for our continent," he said. "We have to stand alongside Ukraine and at the same time protect our populations from a wider conflict," he explained.
"In fact, we did not have a verbal escalation today," the French president also said, responding in Berlin to a question on how you assess Vladimir Putin's speech today. Macron then underlined that "a truce immediately" is needed.
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Repulsed Ukrainian attack on the island of the Snakes
Ukrainian forces attempted an assault to regain control of the Snake Island in the Black Sea, but the offensive was repulsed. This was stated by the Russian Defense Ministry, quoted by TASS.
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Mayor Mariupol: “Parade? A carnival "
"In Mariupol there was not a parade for May 9 but a carnival," the city mayor's adviser Petro Andryushchenko wrote on Telegram. "The Russian invaders deployed 300 meters of the St. George ribbon on one of the central streets of destroyed Mariupol trying to create an image for Russian TV with the help of touring artists from the occupied territories."
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Macron: "Peace cannot be built by humiliating Moscow"
"We must not give in to the temptation of revenge. Tomorrow we will have a peace to build" and "we will have to do it with Ukraine and Russia around the table. But this will not be done either with mutual exclusion, or even with humiliation. ' said French President Emmanuel Macron in a passage from his speech in Strasbourg for the closing ceremony of the Conference on the Future of Europe.
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Kiev, offensive Moscow aims to isolate Lugansk
The Russian army is trying to "cut off" the eastern Lugansk region from the rest of Ukraine in order to take control of the stretch of about 60 km between the towns of Lysychansk and Bakhmut. For this purpose, Russian military equipment has already been transported via a bridge over the Seversky Donetsk River, a natural separation barrier between this connecting hinge and the easternmost part of the oblast. This was stated by Serhiy Haidai, head of the Lugansk regional administration, quoted by Ukrainska Pravda. "Today is decisive. We will fight for this vital path," he added.
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Macron: "Create a European political community with Ukraine"
"From a political point of view, Europe is wider than the EU" and "the historical challenge that awaits us today" is that of "creating a European political community, a new European architecture that would allow democratic European nations that adhere to our values to find a new space for political cooperation and security in the fields of energy, transport, investment, infrastructure, free movement and young people ". This was proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron at the closing ceremony of the Conference on the future of Europe, speaking of Ukraine's accession: "This would not prevent future EU membership".
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Macron: "We are not at war with Russia"
"In order for this war to end we have adopted unprecedented sanctions and mobilized humanitarian, financial and military means like never before. We are not at war with Russia, we work for the preservation of the integrity of Ukraine, for peace in the our continent. But it is only up to Ukraine to define the terms of the negotiations with Russia ". This was stated by French President Emmanuel Macron speaking in Strasbourg at the close of the Conference on the future of Europe.
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Putin: "No doubts about the results of the special operation"
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he had "no doubt" that what he calls the "special military operation" in Ukraine "will produce results". Tass reports it. "If there had also been a chance to resolve the Ukrainian question peacefully, Russia would have used it," Putin added.
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Surprise visit of Michel in Odessa
Surprise visit by EU Council President Charles Michel to Odessa on the occasion of Europe Day. "I am in the city where, as Pushkin said, 'you can feel Europe'", writes Michel in a tweet. His visit, EU sources explain, is "a further demonstration of the EU's unwavering solidarity with the Ukrainian people in their battle against the Russian invasion". During the visit, Michel met with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and President Volodymyr Zelensky also joined the meeting from Kiev. The meeting, it is explained, was then interrupted due to new bombings on Odessa.
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EU: "Opinion on Kiev membership in June"
Telephone conversation between the president of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. "On Europe Day we talked about EU support for Ukraine's European path. We look forward to receiving the replies to the questionnaire for EU membership. The Commission aims to give its opinion in June. "writes von der Leyen in a tweet.
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Moscow: "Negotiations continue in virtual format"
Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are continuing in virtual format. This was stated by the chief negotiator of Moscow Vladimir Medinsky, according to reports from the Interfax agency.
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Victory parade also in Mariupol
Parade on May 9 in Mariupol, a city occupied by Russian forces, where the Ukrainian resistance fights only in the Azovstal steel plant. The images were posted by Nexta Tv, an independent Belarusian media. The images show Denis Pushilin, head of the self-proclaimed republic of Donetsk at the head of the parade, and behind a huge and long gray and orange cloth that covers the entire street. There are no military vehicles, but only people for the most part in civilian clothes who hold the cloth on the side of the road, sing and wave some red flags on the cloudless day.
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Zelensky: "Putin like Hitler"
"Only a madman can hope to repeat the 2194 days of war" of World War II: "the one who is repeating today the horrific crimes of the Hitler regime, following the philosophy of the Nazis and replicating everything they did. He is doomed. Why? Why? he was cursed by millions of ancestors when he began to imitate their killer. And then he will lose everything. " Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says this in the video of over 5 minutes, shot on the occasion of the Victory Day over Nazism while walking in the center of Kiev, without ever naming Russian President Vladimir Putin directly.
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Putin: "Proud of US soldiers' deeds against Nazism"
"I want American veterans to know that we are proud of their deeds." This was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin during the parade on Red Square for the anniversary of the victory over the Nazis, stating that the US has banned a group of former US fighters from World War II from going to Moscow.
"We honor the troops of the allied armies, the Americans, the British, the French, as well as the soldiers of China and the partisans, all those who defeated Nazism," added the Russian president.
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Putin: "The horror of a global war must not repeat itself"
"The horror of a global war must not be repeated". This was stated by President Vladimir Putin on the occasion of the parade for the day of victory over the Nazis.
With the attack on Ukraine, he added, Moscow responded to "a direct threat near the Russian borders" because "an attack had been prepared, including on Crimea".
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Zelensky: "Nobody will appropriate the victory of '45"
The Ukrainians also defeated Nazism in the Second World War and for this reason "we will not allow anyone to appropriate this victory". This was stated today by President Volodymyr Zelensky, quoted by the Interfax Ukraine agency, on the anniversary of the victory. "Our enemy - added Zelensky, referring to Russia - dreamed that we would give up celebrating May 9 and the victory over Nazism". And this is to support Moscow's thesis that the invasion is aimed at "denazifying" Ukraine.
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Kiev: "Moscow prepares the offensive in the east"
Russian forces are preparing for an offensive in eastern Ukraine in the direction of Seversk, Slavyansk, Lisichansk and Avdiivka: the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces announced on its Facebook page, according to the agency UNIAN printing.
(Unioneonline)