Foreign Affairs

Putin flexes his muscles

In Moscow today on Victory Day, but the parade is in a minor tone

Moscow is awash with decorations to celebrate the 1945 victory over Nazism, but fear of Ukrainian sabotage and troop engagement at the front have led to a reduction in the scope of patriotic celebrations.

09/05/2023

On the eve, Moscow is invaded by red flags and symbols of the Second World War, which here is also known as the Great Patriotic War.

Today is the day of the military parade that celebrates V-Day, the victory, an official event of great importance for the country that paid the highest price in the fight against Nazism, but also - for many years now - an opportunity to beat the drumbeat of patriotic and nationalist propaganda.
Putin has always relied on this date to evoke the spirit of sacrifice that helped the then Soviet Union defeat the German invader in 1945 and even more so after the start of the "special military operation" in Ukraine.

And yet, today's parade will be a minor one.
Security measures are very tight, after the drone attacks that have even reached the roofs of the Kremlin and that Moscow attributes to Kiev. Many Russian cities and regions have canceled or reduced celebrations, worried about possible sabotage. Observers have also noted in recent days a lower presence of troops and military vehicles in the rehearsals for today's parade in Moscow.