"Russian jets taking practice runs over the skies of Moscow earlier this week, the lone display of military hardware in a parade that will feature troops but no tanks or missiles on Red Square out of fear of Ukrainian attacks."
"Viktoria, a schoolteacher who declined to give her last name out of fear of government reprisals, says Ukraine's apparent ability to interrupt the proceedings is the latest sign it's past for this war to end. "All I want is peace and for the leaders of all countries to come to some kind of agreement," she tells me, "because I have friends in Ukraine and Europe. This war has gone on long enough.""
"For more than four years, Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed Russian society is consolidated around a war effort that echoes the Soviets' own battles against fascist Germany. Yet, with his special military operation in Ukraine now grinding on longer than the war against Hitler that inspired it, Russian unity looks increasingly fragmented. In fact, cracks are everywhere."
Russians will mark the anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany with a muted Victory Day celebration in Moscow. For the first time in nearly 20 years, the military parade on Red Square will be scaled down, with troops but no tanks or missiles, due to fears of Ukrainian drone attacks. The change follows a pledge by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky not to strike the parade after a three-day ceasefire was brokered. Russian jets have been seen practicing over Moscow, and the reduced display reflects continued security concerns. A schoolteacher described the disruption as a sign the war has gone on too long and said she wants peace and agreements among leaders.
Read at www.npr.org
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