Putin Says "War Goals Are Justified"... Russian Citizens Say "We Need Peace Now"

Russia Holds Victory Day Parade Amid Indifferent Public Response

Mobile Internet Shut Down Across Moscow to Block Drones

Ceasefire Talks Overshadowed by Iran War and Other Global Priorities

Russia held its 81st Victory Day military parade, but domestic residents responded with indifference.

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia. Photo by AFP YONHAP News

According to Yonhap News on May 9 (local time), citing AFP and other sources, "Russia held the Victory Day parade in Moscow's Red Square, commemorating the date when the former Soviet Union claims to have forced Nazi Germany's surrender during World War II." On this day, Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his speech, insisted that "the goals of the war in Ukraine are justified," appealing for public support.

However, President Putin's message did not resonate with everyone. According to Yonhap News, lawyer Tatyana Travina said, "It is time to exercise common sense and agree to a ceasefire. Both sides are suffering," stressing, "What we need is not just a simple ceasefire, but real peace." Bek Ismailov said, "I want a Russia without war. I have seen too many deaths and I don't want to see any more," shaking his head.

This year, ahead of the parade, Russian authorities blocked mobile internet access and greatly increased security throughout the capital to prevent Ukrainian drone attacks. As a result, residents experienced inconveniences in their daily internet use. Elena, an economist whom AFP met in central Moscow, said, "I need the internet, but it isn't working. I will not watch the parade."

On the 9th, soldiers are conducting a flower offering ceremony at the Victory Day commemorative event. Photo by TASS Yonhap News

This year's Victory Day was held during a three-day ceasefire (May 9–11) agreed upon through the mediation of U.S. President Donald Trump. Russia had announced a ceasefire for the Victory Day holiday on May 8–9, but was criticized for doing so unilaterally without consulting Ukraine. Ukraine also declared a unilateral ceasefire from midnight on May 6, and both sides continued to attack each other, refusing to recognize the other's ceasefire declaration.

Russia usually holds large-scale parades to display its military power on Victory Day, but this year the scale was significantly reduced. Assessments suggest that even the center of Moscow was not safe from long-range Ukrainian drone attacks, making such a reduction inevitable. Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, noted, "Since the beginning of this year, some changes have been taking place. Both in private conversations and publicly, everyone is talking about being exhausted," adding, "(The scaled-down parade) shows that the government is feeling vulnerable."

The war in Ukraine, which began with Russia's invasion in February 2022, has become the worst war in Europe since World War II. According to independent Russian media Meduza and Mediazona, the number of Russian military deaths was estimated to have reached 352,000 by the end of last year. Of these, about 218,000 deaths have been identified by name, based on analysis of inheritance records and court death cases. If these estimates are correct, the total number of soldiers killed on both the Russian and Ukrainian sides would be around 500,000. Ceasefire negotiations mediated by the United States have remained stalled, and with the outbreak of war between the United States and Israel and Iran, international mediation efforts have also been pushed aside.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.