Russian President Vladimir Putin presided over a scaled-back Victory Day parade on May 9, showcasing Russia's military might and unity in the ongoing war against Ukraine. However, the celebrations also masked simmering tensions within the Kremlin and Russian society.
The parade in Red Square featured 9,000 military personnel, including some currently serving in Ukraine, and a World War II-era T-34 tank. May 9 is a significant day in Russia, commemorating the over 25 million Soviet soldiers and civilians who died in World War II. Under Putin, the Russian state has elevated collective remembrance of the war to a secular religion, with Russians participating in "Immortal Regiment" marches and Putin laying flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
However, since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the military parade has been downsized, with last year's fly-by cancelled and only one tank featured this year. Front-line priorities appear to take precedence over ceremony.
In his speech, Putin cast the war in Ukraine as a continuation of the Great Patriotic War, claiming Russia is battling "neo-Nazism" in Ukraine. He called for Russians to make more wartime sacrifices, saying, "Russia is now going through a difficult, transitional period... The fate of the motherland, its future depends on each of us."
But this year's Victory Day is also marked by a bribery scandal in the Ministry of Defense. Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov was arrested last month on suspicion of accepting a large bribe, and two businessmen were later arrested for their involvement.
The scandal has exposed simmering tensions within the Kremlin and Russian society. Despite Putin's claims of Russian unity and resolve, there are growing concerns about the war in Ukraine and its impact on the Russian economy and society. The downsizing of the Victory Day parade and the corruption scandal in the Ministry of Defense suggest that not all is well in Putin's Russia.
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