The Kremlin said on Friday that it did not know if there would be a parade in Mariupol on May 9 to commemorate the Soviet Union’s victory in World War II, but that the time had come to celebrate Victory Day.
Russian forces say they captured Mariupol despite continued resistance from Ukrainian forces at the Azovstal steel mill in the Donbass region.
“The time will come to mark Victory Day in Mariupol,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in an interview on Friday, when asked about plans for May 9 in territory recently taken over by forces. supported by Russia.
Russia has recently denied speculation that President Vladimir Putin plans to declare war on Ukraine and declare a national mobilization on May 9.
May 9 Victory Day is one of Russia’s most important national events – a reminder of the enormous Soviet sacrifice made to defeat Nazi Germany in what is known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War.
An estimated 27 million Soviet citizens were killed in the 1941-45 war, which left the Soviet Union devastated and nearly all Soviet families in mourning.
Putin has used previous Victory Day speeches to appeal to the West and showcase the firepower of Russia’s post-Soviet military.
Destroyed blocks in Mariupol confirm heavy bombing
Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine killed thousands, displaced millions more and raised fears of the most serious confrontation between Russia and the United States since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
Putin says the “special military operation” in Ukraine is necessary because the United States was using Ukraine to threaten Russia and Moscow had to defend itself against persecution of Russian-speaking people.
Source: CNN Brasil
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