Russian flags, anti-Nazi slogans, patriotic songs and… a breakdown that makes Vladimir Putin disappear from the screens. Russia celebrated Friday the eight years of the annexation of Ukrainian Crimea, in full offensive in its pro-Western neighbor.
“For a world without Nazism”, “For Russia”, proclaimed banners unfurled in the packed Luzhniki stadium in Moscow, as Russia justifies its military operation in Ukraine by the need to “denazify” the country, accused to perpetrate a genocide of Russian-speaking populations.
“Z” also adorned the chests of speakers performing in front of the crowd, this letter having become a patriotic symbol because it is inscribed on many Russian tanks deployed in combat zones.
The highlight of the show, for 95,000 spectators in the stadium and 100,000 outside according to a police count, was the speech of the Russian president, who came in a navy blue puffer jacket and a cream turtleneck sweater.
Vladimir Putin was praising the heroism of the Russian soldiers engaged in Ukraine when suddenly the public television channel Rossiya-24 interrupted its intervention, showing other moments of the same event.
Fifteen minutes later, television resumed broadcasting the intervention of the master of the Kremlin, delayed.
Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov then told Russian news agencies that the broadcast had been disrupted by a “technical failure on a server”.
Celebrating in his speech the “return” of Crimea to Russia in 2014, annexed after a pro-Western revolution in kyiv, the president praised the forces engaged today in Ukraine, citing in particular the Bible.
“The words that come to me are those of the holy scriptures: there is no greater love than to lay down your life for your friends,” he said, walking onto the stage.
To the sound of “Russia, Russia” chanted by the crowd, he hailed the “heroism” of Russian soldiers who “are fighting, who are acting, during this military operation side by side, and who, if necessary , cover their comrade with their bodies to cut off the trajectory of a “bullet”.
“Made in USSR”
“It’s been a long time since we had experienced such unity,” he said.
The event was also marked by the patriotic songs of famous singers. Oleg Gazmanov took over the tube Made in USSRwhich proclaims in particular “Ukraine and Crimea, Belarus and Moldova, this is my country”.
Political figures, sports medalists and artists took to the stage, and messages of allegiance to President Putin multiplied, while tens of thousands of people waved flags in the country’s colors and banners stamped with the “Z” .
“We are a country and a people who appreciate and defend peace, fight evil […] true freedom is freedom from evil. We cannot be scared because we live in love and faith,” proclaimed the spokeswoman for Russian diplomacy, Maria Zakharova.
The father of a pro-Russian separatist from eastern Ukraine, who died a few days ago, went on stage to greet the Russian army which is “on the front line”.
“I want to tell you to support the president,” proclaimed Artyom Joga, who came for the occasion, while commanding a separatist unit on the Donetsk front.
“A nation that believes in its president cannot be defeated,” proclaimed the gala host.