Military parade on May 9 and Putin's speech in Moscow: That's to be expected

Created: 05/09/2022, 05:42

Scene from March 2022: Putin at a Crimean annexation celebration in Moscow.

© Mikhail Metzel/Imago

Vladimir Putin has ruled Russia for more than 20 years.

On Monday the victory over Hitler Germany will be celebrated there.

The 69-year-old will use the symbol date in the Ukraine war.

Moscow - In the Russian capital on May 9, the victory over the Nazi socialists will be commemorated.

Vladimir Putin will probably use the celebrations this time for a show of power in the escalated Ukraine conflict.

Western observers even consider it possible that he could officially declare war on the country under his counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyj or announce a general mobilization.

The Kremlin has so far dismissed such plans as "nonsense".

But in the sky over Moscow on Monday, eight Russian fighter jets are supposed to form the letter "Z", the symbol for the "military special operation", reports dpa correspondent Ulf Mauder.

Anyone in Russia who publicly criticizes the invasion or even uses the word "war" risks exclusion, persecution by the authorities and severe punishment.

Putin speech on May 9: military parade with 11,000 soldiers in Moscow

Everything on Red Square is ready for the big military parade.

It marks the 77th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany and dictator Adolf Hitler.

Mauder reports that 11,000 soldiers are to be deployed, tanks will thunder over the cobblestones and rockets will be demonstrated.

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD) spoke of an "epoch break" this Sunday (May 8) with a view to the Ukraine war.

Steinmeier was there at the DGB Federal Congress in Berlin.

The German head of state was recently unloaded in Kyiv.

In the evening, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is planning a television speech on the end of the Second World War in Europe (May 8, 1945).

He will probably also speak about the Ukraine war.

War in Ukraine: Lavrov gives ambiguous answers to question about May 9th

Earlier there was speculation that Moscow would end its attacks on Ukraine on May 9th.

But Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said a few days ago, according to AFP, that Russia does not use such data.

"The pace of implementation of the operation in Ukraine depends, first of all, on the need to minimize any risks to the civilian population and Russian soldiers," Lavrov said.