Russia will always be victorious, says Putin at scaled-back Victory Day parade

Vladimir Putin has declared Russia will always be victorious as he oversaw a scaled-back Victory Day parade on Red Square held under heavy security amid mounting fears of Ukrainian attacks and growing public fatigue with the war. Speaking to the crowd, the Russian leader invoked the sacrifices of the second world war to rally support for his soldiers fighting in the war in Ukraine . “The great feat of the generation of victors inspires the warriors carrying out the tasks of the special military operation today,” he said, using the Kremlin’s preferred euphemism for his invasion of Ukraine. “They stand against an aggressive force armed and supported by the entire Nato bloc. And despite this, our heroes move forward. Victory has always been and will always be ours.” Despite the confident rhetoric, this year’s parade laid bare a moment of acute weakness for the Russian president. Moscow on Saturday was blanketed in heavy security, with internet services switched off across the city as Ukraine continued to rattle the Kremlin with long-range drone and missile strikes – forcing organisers to strip the event of its usual pageantry. It was not until the final hours that it became clear Ukraine would not disrupt the proceedings. On the eve of the parade, the US president, Donald Trump, announced Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a three-day ceasefire and prisoner exchange. …