Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia attend a patriotic rally in Moscow in support of the Ukraine offensive, said We (Russia) fighting for its historical land in Ukraine.
I just heard from the top military leadership of the country that a battle is ongoing right now, for our historical lands, for our people.”
Putin address the attender
While addressing more than tens of thousands of people gathered at Moscow’s major Luzhniki stadium, Putin hailed Russian servicemen and troops in Ukraine who are “fighting heroically, courageously and, bravely: Russia proud of them”.
More than tens of thousands of people gathered to watch patriotic performances and speeches, bravely waving flags in cold winter temperatures of -15 degree Celsius. They were also attending the “Glory to the Defenders of the Fatherland” concert, held two days before the anniversary of the Ukraine offensive.
Grigory Leps, the Russian singer kicked off the show with a homage song to Russia, with images of the southern city of Volgograd’s “The Motherland Calls” statue displayed on screens around the stadium.
The show organizers came on stage with children from the Ukrainian Donbas, including from the port city of Mariupol, which was devastated by a long siege before Russia captured it. Ukraine has accused Russia to kidnap thousands of Ukrainian children from Ukraine’s territories while Moscow has denied it and insisted it organized legal adoptions.
Ukraine’s regional officials were also at the stadium and spoke to Russian media.
Denis Pushilin, the Kremlin leader of the Donetsk region told the media that the West is an accomplice to (Ukrainian) war crimes. He repeated Moscow’s claims of “Nazi ideology” governing the Ukrainian government.
Putin alleged that the treatment of Russian speakers in Russia is similar to the actions of Nazi Germany when he launched his special military operation there. Putin has also accused the escalation of the Ukraine dispute on Western capitals, which have funded Kyiv financially and militarily.
