Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy released a video address for the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism, recorded in selfie mode as he walked down Kyiv’s bustling central Khreschatyk street.
“This day reminds us of an important pattern: every evil inevitably comes to an end,” he said walking to Kyiv’s Independence square.
“On the morning of February 24 Khreschatyk was empty – no cars, no people. Now, there is life here, you see. Three years ago, when I recorded an Independence Day address, burned Russian vehicles stood here. And that is the only kind of parade evil can get here,” Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy was seen filming the video in Kyiv the day before, on May 7. The Ukrainian leader took selfies with people on the streets, which had not been blocked or cordoned off for him.
Zelenskyy’s address shows a stark difference with the unprecedented security measures in Russia’s capital before Moscow’s Victory Parade on Friday.
“The difference between life on Independence Square and a parade of fear on Red Square”, he said.
Zelenskyy said that there will be columns of tanks, “marching blocks of killers” and “staged crowds” on the Red Square on Friday, calling it “the sect that is called ‘We can repeat’,” referring to the WWII Soviet slogan ‘we can do it again’ or ‘we can repeat’ which Russia has now been using in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“You did repeat. You repeated all that evil. Ukraine saw it. The whole world saw it. Tomorrow the atrocities of the Nazis will be brought up by the organiser of the mass graves in Bucha. And those who orchestrated the blockade of Mariupol will be the ones talking about the siege of Leningrad.”
Drone threat over Moscow’s Victory Day parade
Moscow has been preparing for the Friday parade under unprecedented security measures and amid a Ukrainian drone attack, which started earlier this week. Moscow has built up layered air defence, specifically against drones.
And although there were no new drone attacks on Thursday, over 100 flights were still delayed in Moscow airports.
Turkish Airlines reportedly cancelled almost all of its flights to and from Moscow Vnukovo airport, according to the Association of Russia’s Tour Operators.
The Kremlin said there would be disruption to mobile phone signal and internet connection in central Moscow in the run-up to the parade, and then also on Friday May 9.
Dmitri Peskov claimed the measures, which may last through May 10, are necessary due to “dangerous neighbours.”
“These are not disruptions, but restrictions for obvious reasons. We want the glorious Victory Day to be celebrated at the appropriate level,” he added.
ADVEReadNOWISEMENTTwenty-nine leaders, including China’s President Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, are expected to attend, the Kremlin said.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico are the only European leaders attending the parade in Moscow.