Russia has been widely accused of downplaying the severity of its coronavirus outbreak, but the Kremlin recently hinted at the true scale of the crisis by postponing the country’s annual Victory Day parade from the traditional date of May 9 to early September. This was not a decision taken lightly in Moscow. The holiday, which marks the Soviet triumph over Nazi Germany, has played a central role in Vladimir Putin’s efforts to rebuild Russian national pride in the wake of the Soviet collapse. As such, any disruption to this year’s seventy-fifth anniversary festivities represents a blow to the authority and prestige of the entire Putin regime.
Russia's War Against Ukraine
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Oleksiy Goncharenko: Ukraine cannot stay neutral in Putin’s history war
Russian President Vladimir Putin and other participants carry portraits of their relatives - WWII soldiers - as they take part in the Immortal Regiment march on Red Square in downtown Moscow on May 9, 2019. Russia celebrates the 74th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany.
