Vladimir Putin accuses the West of “creating a real cult of Nazism”
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Vladimir Putin’s forces were still attacking the eastern city of Bakhmut today, missing the deadline to capture the hotly contested site ahead of Russia’s Victory Day.
A Ukrainian general said Sunday that Russian forces hoped to capture Bakhmut before the annual holiday when Russia marks the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
“The enemy has not taken Bakhmut,” Serhiy Cherevaty, a spokesman for Ukraine’s Eastern Command, said by phone. “There are no significant changes in the positions.”
The Ukrainian military is preparing a long-awaited counter-offensive to try to retake territory occupied by Russia in the south and east.
Russian and Ukrainian forces have been fighting for Bakhmut for months. Russia sees the capture of Bakhmut as a step towards taking other Ukrainian cities.
It comes as Putin addressed the Victory Day parade this morning, focused on the West encouraging “Russophobia”.
The president said: “Today we have a real war against us, but we will defend ourselves against international terrorism.”
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Ukraine says Russia still hitting Bakhmut has failed to capture it
The Ukrainian military said on Tuesday that Russian forces were still attacking the eastern city of Bakhmut, missing a deadline to capture it ahead of the May 9 holiday celebrated in Moscow as Victory Day.
A Ukrainian general said Sunday that Russian forces hoped to capture Bakhmut before the annual holiday when Russia marks the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
“The enemy has not taken Bakhmut,” Serhiy Cherevaty, a spokesman for Ukraine’s Eastern Command, said by phone. “There are no significant changes in the positions.”
The Ukrainian military is preparing a long-awaited counter-offensive to try to retake territory occupied by Russia in the south and east.
Russian and Ukrainian forces have been fighting for Bakhmut for months. Russia sees the capture of Bakhmut as a step towards taking other Ukrainian cities.
(EPA)
Maryam Zakir-HussainMay 9, 2023 11:38 am
The head of Russian mercenaries says he has been told to stay in Bakhmut or be labeled a traitor
The head of the Russian Wagner mercenary force fighting in eastern Ukraine said on Tuesday he had been told he and his men would be considered traitors if they left their positions in the town of Bakhmut.
But Yevgeny Prigozhin said for the second time in a matter of days that his forces would abandon Bakhmut if they did not receive the ammunition they needed to push the battle forward.
He delivered his latest rant in a profanity-laced audio message that coincided with Russia marking the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two with its traditional parade in Moscow’s Red Square.
“A combat order arrived yesterday that clearly stated that if we abandon our positions (in Bakhmut), it will be considered treason to the motherland. That was the message for us,” Prigozhin said.
“(But) if there is no ammunition, then we will leave our positions and be the ones to ask who is really betraying the Motherland. Apparently, who (betraying the Motherland) is the person who signed it (the order to supply too little ammunition).
He said his forces would remain in Bakhmut and continue to insist they receive their ammunition “for several more days.”
Prigozhin has previously accused the defense ministry of deliberately starving his forces of ammunition. The ministry has said it is working to ensure all units on the battlefield have what they need.
Late on Monday, Prigozhin said there were signs the ammunition problem was being resolved, but on Tuesday he said the size of the shipment had been reduced.
“They only gave us 10% of what we asked for. They have deceived us”, he said.
(AP)
Maryam Zakir-HussainMay 9, 2023 2:27 p.m
Watch: Putin accuses West of ‘creating a veritable cult of Nazism’
The Russian president also accused the “Western elite and globalists” of encouraging “Russophobia” as he addressed crowds on Tuesday, May 9.
“We see that in several countries they are destroying monuments to Soviet fighters, to great generals, they are creating a real cult of Nazism,” Putin said.
He also suggested that “mocking the memory of past generations is a real crime.”
Watch: Putin accuses West of ‘creating a veritable cult of Nazism’
Vladimir Putin said the West is “creating a real cult of Nazism” as he delivered an angry Victory Day speech in Moscow’s Red Square. The Russian president also accused the “Western elite and globalists” of encouraging “Russophobia” as he addressed crowds on Tuesday, May 9. “We see that in several countries they are destroying monuments to Soviet fighters, to great generals, they are creating a real cult of Nazism,” Putin said. He also suggested that “mocking the memory of past generations is a real crime.” Click here to sign up for our newsletters.
Maryam Zakir-HussainMay 9, 2023 1:50 p.m
The body in the forest | An original independent television documentary
It was a month after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Russian forces had withdrawn from the vicinity of Kiev and then Bel Trew and his team stumbled upon a body next to an abandoned Russian camp.
His hands were tied. He had been burned and shot in the back. Troopers said he was a teenager.
As Bel tries to figure out who she was and what happened, she discovers a world of nightmares: a nation struggling to find thousands of missing people and identify their dead.
The body in the forest | An original independent television documentary
It was a month after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Russian forces had withdrawn from the vicinity of Kiev and then Bel Trew and his team stumbled upon a body next to an abandoned Russian camp. His hands were tied. He had been burned and shot in the back. Troopers said he was a teenager. As Bel tries to figure out who she was and what happened, she discovers a world of nightmares: a nation struggling to find thousands of missing people and identify their dead. Bel Trew’s The Body in the Woods is now streaming on independent TV and your smart TV.
Maryam Zakir-HussainMay 9, 2023 1:35 p.m
The scale of the attack underscores the importance of the next phase of this war
The dozens of drones fired at Ukraine by Russia are a sign of the crucial juncture we have reached in the invasion.
Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kiev, described it as the “biggest” attack he had ever seen, with airstrikes and missiles also used in other cities. It was the fourth such attack in the capital in just over a week, although Klitschko said all drones targeting the city had been shot down.
Moscow has stepped up its long-range assault ahead of the expected Ukrainian counter-offensive. The drone strikes followed a lull in the spate of Russian airstrikes.
Russia is to commemorate Victory Day on Tuesday, which marks the Soviet Union’s victory over the Nazis in World War II. It’s a major occasion in the country and has only grown in importance for Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine last February.
Maryam Zakir-HussainMay 9, 2023 1:15 p.m
Russia says it launched missiles at Ukraine overnight
Russia’s defense ministry said on Tuesday that its forces had launched missile strikes against targets across Ukraine overnight, disrupting Kiev’s supply of ammunition to the front line and troop movements, news agencies reported Russians
The defense ministry also said fighting continued in the western part of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, which Russian forces have been trying to seize for months in one of the bloodiest battles of the war.
Maryam Zakir-HussainMay 9, 2023 12:50 p.m
Russia launches massive drone strikes in Ukraine ahead of Victory Day
Russia launched its largest ever swarm of drone strikes in Ukraine on Monday as it also prepared for annual commemorations of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War Two.
Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kiev, said Russia fired 60 Iranian-made kamikaze drones at Ukrainian targets, including 36 in the capital. He said all those shot in Kiev had been shot down, although debris hit apartments and other buildings, wounding at least five people.
“This was the most massive drone strike in the capital during the entire war,” said Klitschko, the former heavyweight boxing champion.
The assault is part of a renewed Russian air campaign launched 10 days ago after a lull since early March.
Maryam Zakir-HussainMay 9, 2023 12:31 p.m
Ukraine discusses integration with the EU
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that he discussed European integration, defense issues and sanctions against Russia in talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
After talks in Kiev as Russia marked the anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, Zelensky said he hoped the European Union would soon approve more sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine by Moscow
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shake hands after a joint press conference
(REUTERS)
(AFP via Getty Images)
Maryam Zakir-HussainMay 9, 2023 12:07 p.m
Putin’s Victory Day parade shows the pressure he is under
Vladimir Putin’s annual Victory Day speech followed a familiar path we’ve seen several times in recent months: blaming the West for trying to destroy Russia culturally while continuing to pervert the historical record by saying that only Russia has really fought back. nazism
The narrative he is trying to push is that the “real war” is not the one Moscow started in Ukraine, but the one the West is waging in Russia using Kiev as a proxy. So far, so predictable. But the emphasis was clearly on convincing the Russians of the need to go ahead.
The pride that the country should have for all the military who participate in this war. Whether on the front lines, those providing supplies or treating the wounded. “There is nothing stronger than love for the motherland” were one of Putin’s final words.
Chris Stevenson themes:
Maryam Zakir-HussainMay 9, 2023 11:30 am
Putin mocked the appearance of a single tank in the Russian Victory Day parade
Applause swept through Red Square, with a pistol salute and the Russian national anthem, albeit with a much reduced display of military hardware, and no aviation. Only one tank participated showing the impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine on the Kremlin’s military resource.
Undeterred by the reduced representation, Putin said Russians were united in a “holy” struggle with the West over Ukraine that would end in victory, accusing the United States and its allies of forgetting the triumph Soviet over the Nazis in World War II.
Maryam Zakir-HussainMay 9, 2023 11:04 am
