Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin praised the actions of Russian troops in Ukraine at a mass rally in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium. At the event, at which the TV broadcast of Putin’s speech was temporarily interrupted, the Kremlin chief said, referring to the Russian soldiers in Ukraine: “They help and support each other shoulder to shoulder”. “We haven’t had such a unit for a long time,” he added to the cheers of the crowd.
Before Putin took the stage, previous speakers hailed Putin as a fighter against “Nazism” in Ukraine – a claim repeatedly made by the Russian leadership that world leaders have firmly denied. Pop singer Oleg Gazmanov also performed in the arena, performing the song “Made in the USSR” with the opening line “Ukraine and Crimea, Belarus and Moldova, it’s all my country”.
A number of visitors, but also moderators of the event, wore T-shirts and jackets with a “Z” painted on them. The symbol can be seen on Russian tanks and military vehicles in Ukraine and is used by supporters of the war.
According to the Moscow police, more than 200,000 people were in and around the stadium. The occasion for the event was the eighth anniversary of the Russian annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea.
Eager to make the war fair and to praise Russian troops, Putin paraphrased the Bible and declared: “There is no greater love than to lay down your soul for your friends.” He insisted his actions were necessary to prevent “genocide,” a claim disputed by world leaders.
Image: Keystone