President of Russia, Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Vladimir Putin, attended a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.
Before the parade, the President welcomed the leaders of foreign countries to the Kremlin, who had come to Moscow for the Victory Day celebrations.
The parade began with a march of the banner group bringing the national flag of Russia and the Victory Banner into Red Square.
The marching column on Red Square included 55 ceremonial units of over 11,500 service personnel, including over 1,500 personnel involved in the special military operation. Military contingents from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Egypt, China, Laos, Mongolia, and Myanmar also took part in the Victory Parade.
The parade concluded with the renowned Kubinka Diamond formation of Su-30 and MiG-29 fighter jets from the Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights) and Strizhi (Swifts) aerobatic teams. Closing the flyover, Su-25 attack aircraft painted the sky in the colours of the Russian national flag.
Here is the speech Vladimir Putin had today:
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Citizens of Russia,
Veterans, guests,
Comrade soldiers and sailors, sergeants and sergeant majors, midshipmen and warrant officers,
Comrade officers, generals and admirals,
I congratulate you on the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War!
Today, we are all united by the feelings of joy and grief, pride and gratitude, and admiration for the generation that crushed Nazism and won freedom and peace for all humanity at the cost of millions of lives.
We faithfully preserve the memory of those historic, glorious events. As the heirs of the victors, today we celebrate Victory Day as the most important holiday for the country, which the entire nation, each family, each of us holds dear.
Our fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers saved the Fatherland. And they bequeathed us to defend the Motherland, to stay united and firmly defend our national interests, our thousand-year history, culture and traditional values – everything that is dear to us, that is sacred to us.
We remember the lessons of World War II and will never agree with the distortion of those events or attempts to justify the murderers and slander the true victors.
Our duty is to defend the honour of the Red Army soldiers and commanders, and the heroism of fighters of different ethnic backgrounds who will forever remain Russian soldiers in world history.
Russia has been and will continue to be an indestructible obstacle to Nazism, Russophobia and anti-Semitism, and will stand in the way of the violence perpetrated by the champions of these aggressive and destructive ideas.
Truth and justice are on our side. The whole of Russia, our society and all people support the participants in the special military operation. We are proud of their courage and spirit, and their steely determination that has always brought us victory.
Friends,
The Soviet Union bore the brunt of the enemy’s most savage and relentless assaults. Millions of people, once devoted solely to peaceful labour, took up arms and stood firm to the death on every hill, bridgehead, and defensive line. The outcome of the Second World War was determined by decisive victories in major battles of Moscow and Stalingrad, on the Kursk Bulge and the Dnieper River, by the courage of the defenders of Belarus, who were the first to face the invader, by staunch resistance at the Brest Fortress and in Mogilev, Odessa, Sevastopol, Murmansk, Tula and Smolensk, by the heroism of the residents of besieged Leningrad, by the bravery of all those who fought on the front lines, in partisan units, and in the underground resistance, as well as by the selfless efforts of those who evacuated plants and factories under enemy fire, and who worked on the home front, giving everything they had, working to the limits of their ability.
The Nazis’ plans to conquer the Soviet Union were shattered by the unshakable unity of the nation. The heroism of the Soviet people was common, and every republic shouldered the shared, immense burden of war.
The contribution of the peoples of Central Asia and the South Caucasus was immense. From these regions came a steady flow of trains delivering everything the front needed. Hospitals were established, and hundreds of thousands of evacuees found a second home there. They were offered shelter, food, and heartfelt compassion.
We honour every veteran of the Great Patriotic War and bow our heads in remembrance of all who gave their lives for Victory, the sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, loved ones, and friends.
We bow our heads before our fallen comrades-in-arms who laid down their lives as heroes in a righteous battle for Russia.
Let us now observe a moment of silence.
(A moment of silence.)
Friends,
Nearly 80 percent of the world’s population was drawn into the fiery orbit of World War II.
The complete defeat of Nazi Germany, militarist Japan and their satellites around the world was achieved through the combined efforts of the Allied Nations.
We will never forget that the opening of the Second Front in Europe, which took place after the decisive battles in the territory of the Soviet Union, hastened Victory. We highly appreciate the contribution made to our common struggle by the Allied armies, members of the Resistance, the courageous people of China, and all those who fought for a peaceful future.
Friends,
We will continue to look up to our veterans, taking example from their wholehearted love of the Motherland and commitment to defending our homeland and the values of humanism and justice. We will give these traditions and this great heritage the biggest place in our hearts and will pass them on to future generations.
We will always rely on our unity in battle and in peaceful endeavours, in striving for strategic goals and tackling problems for the benefit of Russia and its greatness and prosperity.
Glory to the victorious nation!
Happy holiday!
Happy Victory Day!
Hurrah!
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