Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during an annual nationwide televised phone-in show in Moscow, Russia (Photo : Sputnik/Sergei Savostyanov/Pool via REUTERS)
Fears of assassination led Russian President Vladimir Putin to hurriedly deliver a speech at this year's Victory Day parade, according to sources. In his first public appearance since an alleged assassination attempt at the Kremlin last week, Putin attended the Moscow parade on Tuesday to mark the end of Russia's involvement in World War II.
However, this year's Victory Day parade was significantly smaller than usual due to Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Sources familiar with the celebration revealed that the parade only featured a single Soviet-era T-34 tank accompanied by no more than ten other military vehicles.
The parade also had fewer soldiers present, as most of Russia's fighting-aged men are currently engaged in the conflict in Ukraine. Ukrainian Ministry Advisor Anton Gerashchenko remarked, "It was one of the smallest in Russian history, taking less than 10 minutes." He added that the parade mainly consisted of cadets and students from military universities, not military personnel.
Western intelligence sources confirmed that the parade's scale was the smallest ever, attributing this to the majority of Russia's military and weaponry being either deployed in Ukraine or destroyed during the past 14 months of conflict. One Western intelligence source said, "Most Russian units that would normally be participating in the parade are either sitting in pieces in the Ukrainian countryside, still in Russian service waiting for the coming Ukrainian counteroffensive, or now in service with the Ukrainian Army."
Additionally, Putin's speech on Tuesday was reportedly shorter than usual. Despite its brevity, the 70-year-old Russian leader took the opportunity to blame the West for the ongoing war in Ukraine. Addressing his audience from Moscow's Red Square, Putin stated, "Today civilization is once again at a decisive turning point. A real war has been unleashed against our Motherland."
