Thousands of troops and a formidable array of military hardware will be on show in Moscow’s Red Square and cities across Russia on Monday as the country holds its annual Victory Day to mark the end of the second world war. But this year something will be different: marchers will hold photographs of soldiers killed in the current Ukraine war alongside those who fought in the earlier conflict, as Moscow draws a direct parallel with its historic fight against fascism.International observers will be scrutinising the event for any sign that the Ukraine war has eroded Moscow’s military might and for what it might do next. For President Vladimir Putin, the parades are an opportunity to project Russian power just as its image is being undermined by recent losses.
週一，俄羅斯將在莫斯科紅場以及全國各地城市舉行一年一度的勝利日(Victory Day)慶祝儀式，紀念第二次世界大戰的結束，屆時將會有成千上萬軍人和各種強大軍事裝備亮相。但今年的場面會有所不同：遊行者除了舉著二戰中陣亡官兵的照片外，還將舉著在正在進行的烏克蘭戰爭中陣亡的官兵的照片，因爲莫斯科方面將入侵烏克蘭與當年歷史性的反法西斯戰爭相提並論。