Moscow — Countries across Europe marked the 80th anniversary on Thursday of VE, or Victory in Europe Day, celebrating the moment in 1945 at which fighting in World War II ended on the continent. But thanks to the time difference between Russia and Western Europe, Russia holds its Victory Day parade on May 9 every year, and CBS News was invited to witness the spectacle in Moscow on Friday.
The parade was months in the planning, and the preparations and security measures taken right ahead of it closed down central Moscow for several days before the event itself.
When Friday arrived, Moscow put on the show — an extravaganza of Russian troops from every branch of the military marching in unison, along with soldiers from the former Soviet Republics and a dizzying array of weaponry.
There was even a guest contingent from China, Russia’s increasingly close ally. In the viewing stand, President Vladimir Putin sat right next to his guest of honor, Chinese President Xi Jinping. Brazil’s leader, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, was also in the crowd.
On one level, the parade was a celebration of Russia’s great victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
But it was also political theater of the highest order — with a weapons drive-by to remind the world that Russia is still a nuclear superpower.
There were hugs and handshakes, also, with North Korean military officials, to show the Russian leader isn’t squeamish about his supporters.
In his speech, Putin alluded to Ukraine, acknowledging that Russia is going through a “difficult, watershed moment in its history,” but giving little in the way of specifics about what he calls his country’s “special military operation.”
“All of you on front lines, are our heroes,” he said, addressing Russian forces.
The display was meant to reinforce that message, and to reassure the Russian people that the pride and morale of their military has not been crushed by the grinding conflict on Russia’s western border.
Over the past three years, tens of thousands of Russian soldiers have been killed, and the fighting shows no signs of letting up.
So, the parade was a celebration of victory over an old enemy, but also a distraction from the fact that any military victory over the new enemy, looks a long way off.
No one may have been more relieved that the event concluded peacefully than President Putin himself, as Ukrainian attacks — even on Moscow — are a very real threat. Ukrainian attack drones forced airports around the Russian capital to close this week.
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