Pissing on Putins Parade! 
Russian President Vladimir Putin insists his invasion of Ukraine is going according to plan, but indications that all is not well are becoming increasingly difficult to disguise. While his army struggles to advance in Ukraine amid catastrophic casualties, the Ukrainians are
bombing high-value targets deep inside Russia with alarming regularity. Concerns over the security of next week’s Victory Day parade in Moscow are now threatening to further embarrass the Kremlin dictator and reveal the reality behind his boasts of Russian military success.
For Putin, the annual Victory Day parade is no mere formality; it is the main event on the Kremlin calendar. This prominence reflects Putin’s efforts to revive Russian patriotism following the fall of the USSR and place the Soviet World War II experience at the heart of the country’s modern national identity.
During the Soviet era, Victory Day had not been the leading public holiday, with only four parades held between 1945 and 1991. Since the start of Putin’s reign, however, Victory Day has been elevated in status to the level of pseudo-religion, complete with its own saints, symbols, dogmas, and heretics. Indeed, it is no coincidence that enemies of the Kremlin are routinely branded as “Nazis.”
The Victory Day military parade on Red Square is the centerpiece of this entire approach. It has traditionally served as an opportunity for Russia to demonstrate its military might to the watching world, with Putin himself presiding over proceedings as the all-powerful ruler of a great nation.
Since 2022, the full-scale invasion of Ukraine has cast a long shadow over this spectacle. With Russia needing all available armor to replace heavy combat losses in Ukraine, finding enough vehicles for the parade has become increasingly challenging. In 2023, the Kremlin could only muster a
single tank, sparking widespread mockery. “There are farmers in Ukraine with more Russian tanks than that,”
quipped one internet wag.
This year’s parade is shaping up to be even more awkward. The Kremlin has already
announced that due to the threat of Ukrainian drone and missile strikes, the event will proceed in a scaled back format without any tanks or military equipment whatsoever. Instead, the
pageantry will be limited to columns of troops marching across Moscow’s central square. This dramatic downgrade represents a tacit admission by Putin that he can no longer ensure security in his own capital.
