the the, this is the w and it was coming to line from roll it. russia celebrates its victory over nazi germany almost 18 years ago. but as moscow wages of faltering war against a neighboring ukraine, we'll have blood coverage of the red square commemorations and hear what president pushing has to say to the russian people. the

hello i'm terry martin. good to have you with us. welcome to our special coverage of russia's commemorations, marketing the $78.00, then a burst free of its victory over nazi germany in world war 2. this year's victory day comes at a time that sees russia deeply entrenched in its invasion of ukraine. one that's proving costly in both monetary and human terms. this year, the traditional parade of military hardware through moscow's red square will be closed off to the public, although the proceedings will be given. loadable coverage on the state television channels as well. let's bring in dw, correspond to emily, sherwin who was our corresponded in russia, but had to leave the country when the russian government shut down or offices in moscow. good heavy with those here,

emily. so talk to somebody about the significance of victory day in russia. victor day is and has now been for decades and extremely significant day for russians on a personal level of emotional level. after all, over 20000000 soviet citizens were killed during world war 2 or virtue is known as the great patriotic war. in russia, almost every russian will have some relative or distant relative who was killed during fighting against the nazis. and um, people really do take time to remember that emotional side of things and they gather to watch the parades on tv. you mentioned it, but of course the russian state has been kind of taking over the narrative of this emotional day. i think more and more for the past few years, particularly there's a political side to this where put in is almost created kind of a cult surrounding the celebrations of the victory against nazi germany.

as proof to almost show that russia has this moral rights also this greatness as a military power. and now of course, it's all, it's even harder to watch the militaristic side of this, knowing that russia has attacked its neighbor, built several regions i understand across russia have cancelled their parades today . and normally these, the celebrations are happening all over the country. tell us more about why they're cancelling them. well, several cities and regions have cited security concerns, and that's not just cities that are close to the ukrainian border as you might expect. but also, for example, the city of to mean which is inside beer really far away from the ukraine. and so some areas close to the front line where even explicit about those security concerns. for example, battle good. a city right near the ukrainian border, which said that it doesn't want to provoke the enemy with, you know,

the gathering of soldiers and military equipment right in the center of the city. so it's interesting to hear that explicit reference to security concerns from regional governments. and we're also seeing, interestingly, a cancellation of the immortal regiment, which is people um, kind of gather in cities, walk through the city um with pictures of their relatives who died in world war 2. and it could be, of course, that the russian government is afraid that people might also print out photos of people who died in the war in ukraine, which they wouldn't want people to show. so security concerns there. and this, even though the russian government officially doesn't even allow the, there invasion of ukraine to be described as a war, but simply a special military operation. uh, we're looking at live pictures uh from, from moscow right now, just uh, just a moment ago where we're seeing a present protein in the, in the crowd there. we're seeing some marchers now across the square. we are

expecting present, letting me put into a dress, the crowds there, and of course we're going to carry the live. what can we expect emily from putting speech on this day? this is the 2nd time the victory day has been celebrated in russia since it's invasion of ukraine started. well, last year letting me a push and took this speech, not only to remember the many victims of a world war 2 and kind of to strike the sombre tone, which is what he usually does, but also to draw parallels, i think, to what's happening now in the war and ukraine, which of course, is known as a special, a special operation in russia. he kind of painted russia as always, this country that defends itself, that defends its moral. right. and also um, he painted the west and nato as being at fault for the invasion of ukraine for having 4 stresses hand into defending itself. so kind of drawing these

historical power allows from world war 2 to the current time. and i would expect that we're going to hear a similar narrative. it's also important to point out that that narrative has been explicit. you know that those palos from the beginning, because the russian government said that they were going into ukraine to quote the knots of fide the country. they claim that they're fighting against nazis and ukraine, which of course is false. um and so, so those power, those have been, have been pretty explicit and we're expecting, put in to make those parallels to get to the russian people. emily, except the narrative, the preteen is presenting to them trying to draw parallels to being a victim of nazi aggression. in world war 2, and now what is happening with ukraine for training the ukrainians as the aggressors or nato is the aggressors through the rest of the people really, except that there? well, i certainly think that the narrative of this kind of besieged fortress is very

strong. the idea that russia is surrounded by enemies, that nato has been for many years encroaching on russia by getting to close by trying to, you know, even include ukraine. that i think is a very strong narrative that we've been hearing for very, for many years. and russia now, including, since, you know, the annexation of crimea, that rhetoric has really been stepped up within russia. and i do think that is strong. a lot of people interest of remember the soviet union. they remember these 2 blocks, you know, the east in the west being pitted against each other. so i think that kind of rhetoric does work for a lot of people and, and, you know, works for puts in, you mentioned security concerns, surroundings celebrations. again, even though russia claims officially, that is not at war, this is give us some background on that. what tell us about what has happened in russia over the past few weeks and months? that would give russia russians concerns about to about possibly being attacked on

this day. well, the most obvious thing and one thing that also the criminal in itself is explicitly referred to when it comes to preparations for this parade. on red square is an attack by 2 drones on the kremlin, which happened just a few days ago. so i think that's the most obvious thing that will be on people's minds. and there's been tight security, tighter security than normal surrounding the parade in moscow. certainly. and, but also there's been several acts of sabotage against, you know, an oil tanker. freight trains that have been happening within the country. and it's in, it's interesting that with the cancellation of several parades across the country, russia's almost making these security concerns explicit now. whereas before, you know, there was almost a sense of the power low reality would that russia isn't really at war, that this is just, you know, a special operation. but now we're seeing this explicit acknowledgement that, you know, even the kremlin has been under attack. there were claims from the kremlin that,

that the, that ukraine had attacked the kremlin with those 2 drones and that they actually were even trying to kill flooding their foods. and so, you know, defense against, of a besieged fortress. and of course, the invasion has been going on now for a long time. the, when it was launched in february of last year, president putin tried to suggest that this was just going to take a few days and it would all be wrapped up in here. we are in 2023 on victory day where things look a lot different. uh, stay with the assembly as we wait for president vladimir putin to begin his speech, which we're going to carry live. we have our corresponded in tube standing by for us and it connelly is there, nick, talk to us about how victory day is seen in ukraine. understand they actually moved the celebrations of to a, a day earlier in ukraine and to distinguish ukraine very much from russia. of the exact teacher, this is all about basically coming in line with western european trim ration of

this day and kind of drawing a line. the sense between when ration hearing key of and what's happening in russia think up to about kind of 10 years ago. the not the may was a fairly uncontroversial holiday hearing ukraine and for all the problems with, with the even then during you create a rush, it wasn't a kind of thing to distinguish the ukraine, your identity from brushing about. but that certainly is changed is a real sense here in ukraine that this has become basically like me, which is only kind of claim for chemical 30 and lose tennessee. and that's basically, they privatized the memory of the desk in 2nd, will even the most of the casualties in the soviet union weren't brothers and ukraine not in modern day russia. and that's basically ukrainians. the ones have anything to do with those conversations which are kind of associates with soviet russian chauvinism. is it seen here in ukraine? and right now, see in the middle where you've got constant notifications, stories uh on your social media feed,

the people who are losing their lives. the memory of people who died in 1940 is obviously slightly further away because of one's concern with the hearing now. and the kind of real crystallization point this becomes a national holiday the independence day in august last year was certainly very kind of some of the day people kind of trying to get some 1st kind of conclusions and some kind of counting the losses back then. so it's, it's a very quiet day here in cuba. describe you say it's quiet, but how are people dealing with this psychologically in t a because this is, 1st of all, a break from their historical tradition where they would normally be celebrating today along with moscow. they celebrate instead, yesterday, and it's a country under seas. what is the atmosphere like among the people in cube today? you certainly see a lot of retired faces. people just not able to sleep through these quotes, the area that alarms or warnings. that's quite a difference just a the 10 days ago. so we had a lot of last 2 months,

wherever he seemed like those western ad defenses and fact the russia was running out of themselves, have made a difference in that. now, in cuba, at least where your few 100 moments away from the front lines, life could get back some kind of home i left you. that's very definitely not the case in terms of commemorations. you do see people. yesterday there was some of this and i think today was the people bringing flowers to the memorials and talks and other places. but that's on a personal level. and it's by far not as numerous in terms of the crowds as being the case even near infringe. 192020, just for this rule began, and i think there's a real sense that your everyday is a commemorative day here in ukraine. you have funerals, fuel services for well loan, the volunteers military people on the, my don incentive t of almost every week. so basically they're leaving this kind of commemorative, kind of more atmosphere day in day out. they don't really need a special day to think about the price of the independence and the price of this will with the russian. today is a, is europe today in most of europe,

the, the commemoration surrounding the end of, or the victory over nazi germany is marked the day before, which is what of course keith did yesterday. so i'm just wondering, nick, on your day we have a very there's this very special guest expected in t of tell us more about the is indeed what's left on the line has arrived. thank you and suspects to meet present zalinski. uh, just in a few hours time, i think the kind of significance of your day that is basically something that maybe people will digest towards this for the, for now it's so pretty abstract. but that's certainly awesome. very concrete expectations of this visit, notably, military support that you has finding move towards actually at coordinating supplies of especially munitions for were you kind of something that it never did previously is a real good change that so it was within the night and it has been able to kind of put through since this will began, and there's been a lot of ranking within the you about why that mission is going to come from. some

countries looking purchases, admission fee credit from outside to block of kind of protectionist reasons. that's and get a lot of people here and you can say you've got time to have all these arguments we need. that means isn't yesterday, rather than in 6 months time. so i think she's going to try and some of the, some of that over and try to really convince people here that she's serious about you getting a kind of mutual as well as kind of cement, a tearing financial role and see millions of ukrainians living in the us about the state just as refugees, their ability to maybe come back to visit people in ukraine, then go back to countries in europe. it's a huge logistical issue, a while for set. and so far has been going fairly well. i think with people in your brain all very grateful and recognize the fact that without that possibility to send families, children old people to countries in the neighboring countries in the u. k. ration hearing ukraine would be a little harder when you go to the front lines. they can tell you with just grateful that we can be, you know, come to our family event. next, sorry, we're gonna have to leave it there. vladimir putin, the president of russia, is just beginning his speech on victory day over nazi germany. let's come over to

moscow and listen in congress sulu to on the day of victory to z. we on our saw this grandpa, this that's what glorious and whose names are to be remembered for ever. they have the sacrifice involved in order to save theirs from nazi some. once again, we are turning point again, but yet they are enemies and they is v a wheel going on around the 2nd or the but so we are standing up against international terrorism. we defend a security on the on bus for us, for russia. they all know and they mean nations now is the in the west north,

in the east, the majority of people on us things like we do, we want to see of a that is free, stable a peaceful. we think it's a free, i do all it to of superior. all righty. is horrendous. is something that comes up with a global, terroristic, the global leads this bill believe they are superior. they are a little provoking, lot shades conflicts and they not risk when you nationalism and trust. the phobia said this crawl, it's out family values, traditional values that make man human beings, that what they do god in order to take to take place to impose their way onto the pill, onto the people they want to grab the ever since they come to me but we have not so

good football what it means when the nazis come to power. we have not forgotten the hook austin, who has certainly been at louisiana. we started in such a horrible events and we have sacrificed our lives. and we just say just to the people, most of europe will show it. we once again see the memorial just them to the soviet. so to say the grades force us of being destroyed up, i mean nazis and to help us have once again the surfacing sea. they would like to see that this prevail is yeah. and they see what most a, it's a source are pretty stupidly disrespectful to anyone sacrifice as we see in each that you pretty create that got, that will be a times of those who would like for to once again, you know, not the time russia,

they have to develop neo nazi be says owner random old stuff for the that they would like to destroy a country to make a decision tonight. and the judge in the escal inclusion of the 2nd load will use the nice thing that they want to over. so international legal video film to and they would like to find you out on the cross or what's like, any of the sentence of development that wants to be free to find the full email that is attached to that time on. so as long as again, this is a disaster, the same, the ukraine at the moment, but ukraine high when they come to us, we must stay me to the right side. was set up with me crazy. oh, renders. but i'll give them the money and re seems, is they a good using everything they come in all the 2 images to manage the different plans . so we ship, we new me, you of nest on the lake. as a matter of fact, input for us to crate the pay commission, you pay $3.00, it was

a 5 and we now have to stand up on the counter. i to not see neil nonsense once in the armies of the united states, u. k. and other countries, do people with committee said they have participated in defeating any of the ship. um, but a few of national is montages was that we have quote, again many states, and this is a legacy that we're going to fund only going to tell you when you over today. when that was a move meant by them. and when you to create games, a multi polar, you might just have just, well, we stand up for security about indivisible security. so we want to make sure that every country you read, every nation has right to develop. but really the day to day in this is the most so we have samples the latest of the missed just as it

comes less of independent states to get the reports and degrade pancreatic law for all of the nations of the service. you know, have made a contribution to the degree. we will remember that for every year. and we cherish the memory on every one. it by me, it was like that was taken in that you all, we create, the ha, those stands you thousands that don't, it was a and remember what it all said brothers system, me wise cousins, relatives of people that have sacrificed certain dead for let's have a moment of silence, the

best thing about the war is really aggressive and this is the season of is yesterday she the so i'm not sure how to do in the to but the so just saw you say for homeland have always been sacred to us. i get them for

you, we work or follow up and you might want us to, we understand what it means that the set up for me to eat and the rest of this year follow their mortgage, chase and industries. and we are proud to be part of the special ministry oper, recent everybody who serves the phones, plus the makes sure you thought you of, of people are being safe, 2 bedrooms and people are being saved. your buy was years. what would be the best with your service on this? so if you want to try and country the future of have a country of our nation depends on the easiest way and you are proud to be signed today. you'll country you fine for rush. i see your family's real children, your family. we are waiting for you. they are. can you verify that you'll see a red and blue slow is the way our continued oil spence united to on our heroes. everybody is ready to help. the party is praying for his. yeah,

that i gave you to the comrades, you and your family, not veterans. you choose to. after you family. we have one members, admin. i us participated in the great you have to make up pay 20 years. won't be remember our heroes. we have our moreno places even to think of them today was the plan that was on this very crowded, where you read the heroes you so much, that's fort wayne of get that. i uniquely bought out the pieces you raise 0. it these introduced was always taking place. place here also in 1945. it's anybody. we have also a member of the special ed military operation. he tries to get the full nitty movies on there, or would you just member subsidy um for send them to the service progression professionals much more, which is where you would create a new set, 3 digit. well, it can go up and set it for 7 temporarily. we have the essentials

b here. we have you for um, for this um, it was done. you had skin no problems. i would like to real comfortable if you will . i would like that to you. well, come at all. if you push the tool, which is fighting for the russian, if we want the good is on the, from the, from the front line for you. yeah. because that is our mutual cause successes of our head, roderick and suspension would they have shown that our unity is you to the strong, the elementary. we have nothing come be stronger than our last 2 of those are the homeless. you to russia, to our noble of forces, to victory, should write the, the of

the and we are bringing news, special coverage of rushes, commemorations marking the 78th anniversary of his victory over nazi germany in world war 2. we just heard from russian president vladimir putin addressing the people gathered there on red square in moscow. in his speech, she suggested that the global elite are responsible for the current blood show that we're seeing and ukraine. he described ukraine as being hostage to western regimes . he mentioned the us and britain specifically, and he says that russia needs to stand up to counter what he called neo nazis with me. here in the studio is emily sherman? i am showing emily was our moscow correspondent until judge about a was forced to leave russia just shortly after the invasion of ukraine. emily, your impression of vladimir putin speech?

i think a lot of it was not unexpected in the sense that, you know, it's usual for letting me put into a course. remember the victims of what is known as the great patriotic war in russia to honor their memory. as he said, they were sacrificed to save russia and europe from nazi germany. but what i think was interesting was the power allows that he drew to the car and as he called it, a special military operation, that's what the war in ukraine is known as in russia. and he now this, at this parade today, there were actually members of the armed forces that fought in ukraine, presents that's what the kremlin said in advance. so he took the opportunity to thank them and also to portray them as also taking part in this decisive battle for the russian in fatherland. a defensive bottle, as he painted it on

a sacred bottle. he said that there, but that everyone's very proud of the military operation happening in ukraine and proud of those members of the armed forces. so i think, you know, that parallel stood out. also, he took the opportunity to, again, say that a ukraine is actually some kind of a nazi state. he didn't say it. and so many words. but he said that once again, russia is essentially fighting the nazis, they've been saying from the beginning and russia, that this is an operation and you can to be not suffice. the country. yeah, here we're going to be approaching is said that the, the future of russia depends on troops fighting at the front in ukraine. i'm just wondering, emily, how the people in russia when they hear pushing speech today, are they, are they willing to go where he wants them to go in, in terms of comparing ukrainians to nazis?

he wants to vilify it, seems the entire government and the establishment in ukraine as not susan. and this is a country that until the invasion took place was considered to be very closely culturally, politically, economically tied to russia. these parallels between nazi germany and ukraine it's, it's just hard for me to imagine that narrative being accepted widely. how does he, how does he succeed in peddling that idea? i think you're right. this has been kind of, you know, a change even though there has been accusations of nazi naziism and nationalism, you know, for several years now since the, my don, since my don to place protest pro european protests that happened in ukraine. those were also kind of painted as are you credit since then has been painted as a kind of nationalistic state, not to be trusted, but i do think it's interesting to see is that today the emphasis was much more.

yes, he did mention this neo nazi fighting and c analysis, but he was much more focused on the western elite. you mentioned it yourself. and he said that ukraine is actually hostage to what he called western regimes. so it's almost as if pushing here is kind of shifting the blame to the west on the whole, even before the war, you know, is there was a sense that nato is expanding, that nato is trying to bring ukraine into its fold. and that, that is a threat to russia. so we heard that today again, and he also mentioned, i think interestingly, an ice, an ideal ideology, excuse me, of superiority a terrorist ideology. and i think that's kind of a veiled reference to the us. russia likes to paint the us as a kind of wanting to be at the head of this uni polar a world order. we're actually behind it all the us is kind of pulling the strings. they're in charge really, of europe, they're in charge of nato. so that's

a narrative that we've heard in the past few years a lot. and that's something that he's kind of know injecting almost to this to the speech on this very significant and emotional day. so kind of an explosive mix, i think of, of almost ideology, ideological building blocks and historical building blocks that printed it is kind of almost jumbling off to create this very emotional message for russians. you know, is it what came through very clearly? and in his speech was this idea of victim who it essentially in russia, this, uh, this notion that russia, that there are forces about that are trying to destroy russia. and he, again, costs that with the global leads and ukraine. but it's very hard, i think, for people outside of the country to understand what's in terms of the of the country, the other countries surrounding russia, members of the former soviet union. they are represented some of them at this, at this ceremony today in on red square. but the number.