Pro-Russian troops ride an infantry fighting vehicle near the Azovstal steel plant in the southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine, on May 5th. (Alexander Ermochenko / Reuters)
The Kremlin declined to confirm on Friday whether Victory Day parade would take place on Monday in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, saying a broad celebration of Victory Day is currently impossible “for obvious reasons.”
“I can’t say on behalf of the military if there are any plans,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told CNN during a regular conference call with reporters asked if a victory parade was expected in Mariupol.
Russia’s first deputy head of the presidential administration, Sergei Kiriyenko, said earlier that this year’s Victory Day parade in Donetsk and Luhansk could not yet take place, but the time would come soon, according to the state news agency RIA Novosti. .
A bit of background: Western officials believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin can officially declare war on Ukraine as soon as May 9, a symbolic day for Russia, paves the way for him to launch his campaign.
May 9, known as “Victory Day” in Russia, marks the country’s defeat of the Nazis in 1945.
More details from the Kremlin: Peskov said on Friday that May 9 is a “sacred” day for Russians and will not be overshadowed by events in Ukraine.
Victory Day is a sacred day for all Russians, for almost all residents of the former Soviet Union, a major holiday filled with symbolism, a sense of pain for the victims we have suffered, and a sense of pride for our country and our victory. Therefore, nothing will overshadow him, “Peskov told reporters during a daily conversation with the media, asked if the war, the dying people in Ukraine and rumors of an impending mobilization in Russia could overshadow the mood of the solemn Victory Day.
Peskov added that “from the point of view of national pride, the significance of this holiday cannot be overestimated.”
The Kremlin confirmed on Friday that Putin would attend a traditional May 9 victory parade in Moscow’s Red Square and deliver a speech. At the end of the parade, Putin will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
This year’s parade is expected to be smaller than in previous years. According to the Kremlin, international leaders were not invited to attend the celebrations. “We did not invite anyone to Victory Day,” Peskov said last week.
The exhibition of military equipment is also expected to be smaller. According to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, 11,000 people and 131 weapons will take part in the military parade this year, compared to 191 military vehicles and 12,000 last year. The air show is expected to include 77 planes and helicopters, one additional plane compared to last year.
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