Speech On Victory Day Commemoration, President Putin: War Has Been Launched Against Russia, Moscow Will Solve It

President Vladimir Putin in commemoration of Victory Day 2023. (Source: Russian Presidential Press and Information Office)

JAKARTA - Russia held a military parade to commemorate the 78th anniversary of Victory Day against the Nazis in World War II in 1941-1945, which was held on the Red Square of Moscow, Tuesday.

The march begins with the Honorary Guard group carrying the Russian national flag and the legendary Victory Flag across the Red Square. The flag of victory was flown over the Reichstag by soldiers of the Soviet 150th Idritsic Rifle Division in May 1945.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, veteran of war, and guests watched the march from the central stands in Red Square, including a number of state leaders and heads of government of friendly countries.

Among them are Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kirgistan President Sadyr Japarov, Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedow, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, reported TASS 9 May.

Secretary of Defense General of the Army Sergey Shoigu inspected a military parade led by Army Commander General Oleg Salyukov.

In a speech on this year's anniversary, President Vladimir Putin said war had been waged against Russia. However, Moscow will finish it.

"Today, civilization is once again at a decisive turning point, (and) a real war has been waged against our homeland. But we are parrying international terrorism, (and) we will protect the residents of Donbass, ensuring our security," President Putin said in a speech to commemorate 68 years of victory over Nazi Germany in World War II., as quoted by Sputnik News.

This year, Russia's Victory Day Parade on Moscow's Red Square involved more than 8,000 troops, including 530 special military operations fighters in Ukraine and more than 100 military hardware.

The infantry column consists of 30 parade units. The legendary T-34 tank traditionally leads the mechanical column at the Victory Day Parade. The military parade mechanical column also involves Tigr-M armored vehicles, BTR-182A armored personnel carriers, the Boomerang infantry fighting vehicle, the Iskander-M tactical missile system, the S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft missile system and the Yars (ICBM) launch intercontinental ballistic missile. Spartak and 3-STS-Akhmat armored vehicles participated in the military parade for the first time.

Meanwhile, the air power parade over Moscow's Red Square did not take place this year.