Reuters reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin will issue a "Doomsday" warning to the West when he leads the celebrations for the 77th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany on May 9, an event that occurs every year. He will showcase the immense firepower of Russia while his forces are engaged in the war in Ukraine.
Putin is expected to address his supporters in Red Square, as has been customary in past years, prior to a display of soldiers, tanks, and intercontinental ballistic missiles. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that a flyover will take place above St. Basil's Cathedral, featuring supersonic fighters and strategic Tu-160 bombers. For the first time since 2010, the 'Doomsday' command aircraft Il-80 will also participate, which is designed to carry high-ranking officers in the event of a nuclear war. The Il-80 is intended to serve as the airborne command center for the Russian president in such a scenario and is equipped with advanced technologies; however, specific details remain state secrets.
The Kremlin leader (69 years old) has frequently compared the war in Ukraine to the challenge faced by the Soviet Union during the Nazi invasion led by Adolf Hitler in 1941. This year's Victory Day will be heavily overshadowed by the war in Ukraine.
The Russian invasion has resulted in thousands of deaths and has forced nearly ten million Ukrainians to flee their homes. It has also left Russia under the grip of strict Western sanctions and raised fears of a broader confrontation between Russia and the United States, the world's two largest nuclear powers.
Despite the participation of 11,000 soldiers in the military parade in Red Square, alongside what the Russian Ministry of Defense claims to be 131 pieces of military hardware, the war in Ukraine has exposed vulnerabilities in the Russian armed forces. This comes despite Putin's efforts over the past two decades to halt the decline experienced in the post-Soviet period. The Kremlin has failed to achieve a swift victory in Ukraine, and the Russian economy is under severe pressure from sanctions, facing its worst contraction since the years following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
