Speaking on Red Square during the Victory Parade, Russian President Vladimir Putin devoted much of his speech to justifying the invasion of Ukraine rather than victory in World War II. He did not say about the general mobilization and declaration of war on Ukraine, despite analysts’ forecasts.

According to Vitaly Shevchenko, an analyst with the BBC Monitoring Service, the speech was unusual for two reasons: minutes) “.

Vladimir Putin may have taken some pleasure in forcing the West to think hard about his speech at this year’s Victory Day parade in Moscow, according to Paul Adams, the BBC’s diplomacy correspondent .

But despite the alleged link between the current war in Ukraine and the fight against Nazism in World War II, he did not give any real hints of his future intentions.

Not a word about mobilization. No statements of victory in Ukraine. A reference to losses, but without changing the terminology: this is still a “special operation”, not a full-scale war.

Maybe Putin wants to get everyone to figure out his plans? Is the lack of detail in the speech evidence of Russia’s failure on the battlefield?

There were some achievements. Russia has seized some territories and inflicted huge losses on Ukraine.

But given the scale of the February invasion, the operation clearly failed to achieve Moscow’s main goal: to defeat Ukraine and overthrow its leadership.

In 2022, the Victory Parade in Moscow was much more “modest” than in previous years, writes security and defense expert Jonathan Marcus . There were fewer servicemen and equipment, which became known in advance – the plan of the parade was published by the Russian Ministry of Defense in late April.

However, the weapons systems currently in place in Ukraine were presented, from self-propelled artillery to ground-based ballistic missiles and heavy armored vehicles.

The parade was attended by contingents of all major branches of the army, including military equipment and VAT fighters – Russian airborne units, which were at the forefront of the offensive on Ukraine and suffered significant losses in the first weeks of the war.

Long-range nuclear missiles also flew through Red Square, a powerful reminder of Russia’s vast nuclear arsenal.

This is a threat that Russian leaders have repeatedly mentioned, as the conflict has escalated into a struggle to exhaustion with very little progress from Russia.

In his speech, Putin did not mention Mariupol, a city of Azov that is of strategic importance to Russia. It has witnessed the fiercest fighting and is a symbol of the Ukrainian resistance, BBC correspondent Hugo Bachega said in a review of his speech.

The capture of Mariupol would allow Russia to create a land corridor to annexed Crimea.

For the third month in a row, Ukrainian forces have been resisting in Mariupol.

The last stronghold for them was the Azovstal metallurgical plant, where they hold the defense and on which the Russian military strikes constant blows.

The mayor’s adviser said in his telegram that the Russians resumed the assault on Azovstal after the departure of the UN humanitarian column with the rest of the civilians.

On May 8, Azov fighters gave a press conference from the blocked city. They said they would not give up and promised to continue the fight.

“We have known all this time that the Azov Regiment does not have a high chance of survival if we are taken prisoner. And to surrender to us is unacceptable. We cannot make such a great gift to the enemy,” said Azov officer Ilya. Samoilenko.

“We’re mostly dead people. Most of us know that. That’s why we fight so fearlessly.”

On May 3, CNN suggested that Putin could officially declare war on Ukraine on May 9 and begin mobilizing conscripts as “invasion efforts continue to fail.”

The TV company referred to the opinion of Western officials. They believe that Putin should have used the “symbolic meaning and propaganda value of the day” to declare either military achievements in Ukraine or a major escalation of hostilities (or both).

“The official declaration of war on May 9 has the potential to boost public support for the invasion. In addition, under Russian law, it will allow Putin to mobilize reserve forces and conscripts whom [Western] officials say Russia desperately needs [in Ukraine].” was in the material.

Reuters also reported that Putin’s speech on Victory Day could shed light on the future of the war he unleashed on February 24 by a failed assault on Kyiv. The invasion of Ukraine was accompanied by problems with logistics and weapons, as well as heavy losses in the face of fierce resistance from Ukrainians, the agency said.

Observers called Mariupol, where fighters at the Azovstal plant are still defending themselves, the main obstacle to announcing a “completed mission”.

Ukrainian military and Western intelligence also reported difficulties with the Russian offensive in the Donbas. Russia’s latest defense ministry reports on air and missile strikes, not on the advance of troops in eastern Ukraine.

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