In the silence of Red Square, with the salutation of weapons and the sound of military bands, at 10:00 a.m., the parade for the 81st anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War began in Moscow.

The ceremony took place in a dimmer atmosphere than usual, almost like in the times of the COVID-19 pandemic, or even more limited, due to the fear of an attack. Ukrainians.

Kiev has shown that it can strike at long distances with drones and with new “Flamingo” missiles, manufactured in Ukraine and capable of carrying warheads up to 1 ton. However, the safety of the parade this time has been guaranteed more by diplomacy: US President Donald Trump has announced a 3-day ceasefire, which he sees as a possible step towards a more lasting peace after 50 months of war.

According to reports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has approved a decision not to carry out attacks during the parade in Moscow, presenting it as a “humanitarian move” in the framework of negotiations with USA.

In Red Square, in front of the Kremlin and Lenin’s mausoleum, the military troops paraded without the usual presence of heavy military vehicles such as tanks and rocket launchers. The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, attended the ceremony from the main stand.

Putin gave a speech commemorating the sacrifices of the 27 million Soviet soldiers who died in the Second World War, asking for a minute of silence in their honor. However, this year the ceremony had a more limited participation of foreign leaders.

Only a few figures were present in Moscow, including the presidents of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, as well as leaders of Belarus, Malaysia, Laos and several other regions. Unlike previous years, when the leaders of NATO countries or other important international figures were also on the podium, this year the participation was much lower.

The Russian authorities did not send wide invitations to foreign leaders, stressing that the participation was open only to those who wanted to come.

To guarantee the safety of President Putin and the conduct of the ceremony, the use of the Internet on mobile phones and applications was temporarily restricted in Moscow. of communication. The declared ceasefire is seen as the first complete since the war began in February 2022, although sporadic clashes are still reported on the frontline.

In his speech, Putin briefly mentioned the war in Ukraine, saying that Russian forces “are facing an aggressive force backed by NATO”, while stressing that “our heroes are advancing”.

The parade ended with the flyover of fighter jets and the ceremony. traditional wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a symbolic moment that concluded a more limited event than in previous years.

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Source: prizrenpost