Vladimir Putin’s show in a stadium in Moscow

Friday, March 18, a patriotic party brought together 95,000 people in the largest stadium in Moscow (Russia). Flags, national anthem, athletes and popular singers celebrated with nostalgia the Soviet era. This holiday was officially organized to celebrate the annexation of Crimea, which occurred eight years ago.

During the ceremony, Vladimir Poutine, president of the Russian federation, made a speech denouncing a genocide in the Donbass. “Freeing people from this suffering and genocide is the main reason, motive and goal of the military operation we have launched in Donbass and Ukraine”, he argued, to justify the war in Ukraine. This is the first time Vladimir Putin has appeared in public since the start of the conflict 22 days ago. The president supported the Russian soldiers and praised the unity of the country.