Guy Faulconbridge

LONDON, (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin will issue a “doomsday warning” to the West during Monday’s celebrations marking the 77th Anniversary of the Soviet Union’s defeat in Nazi Germany. He is pointing out Russia’s immense firepower as its troops fight for survival in Ukraine.

Putin is determined in his face of Western isolation, having ordered Russia’s invasion, speaking on Red Square. He will be accompanied by a parade with troops, tanks and rockets as well as intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The Defence Ministry stated that supersonic fighters and Tu-160 strategic bombers will fly over St Basil’s Cathedral. It also includes the Il-80 “doomsday”, command plane. This would transport Russia’s highest brass, in case of nuclear war.

The Il-80 was designed as a roaming command center for Russian President. Although it is full of technology, specific details about the Russian state are classified.

Kremlin leader, a 69 year-old Kremlin leader, has often compared the crisis in Ukraine to that faced by the Soviet Union when Adolf Hitler’s Nazis invaded in 1941.

Putin declared that he had made an attempt to “appease the aggressor” on February 24, when he announced a military operation to help Ukraine.

We will not repeat the same mistake twice, and we don’t have any right to.”

Putin sees the Ukraine war as a fight to protect Russian speakers against persecution by Nazism and to counter what he calls the U.S. menace to Russia from NATO enlargement. Both the West and Ukraine reject the claim of fascism and state that Putin is engaged in unprovoked aggression.

In World War Two the Soviet Union lost 27 millions people, which is more than any other country. Putin has lashed out at the West’s attempts to shred the Soviet victory by revising the war’s history.

The Russians are most proud of the victory over Nazi Germany in the war against Germany. However both of the devastating invasions by the West have made Russia extremely sensitive about its borders.

THE SHADOW OF ENGLAND

This Victory Day will be shadowed by the war in Ukraine.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has resulted in the deaths of thousands and displacement of nearly 10,000,000 people. Russia has been placed under severe sanctions by the West, which has raised concerns about a larger confrontation with the United States, the largest nuclear power in the world.

While 11,000 troops will march across Red Square, along with what is claimed to be 131 pieces (according to the Defence Ministry), it will make for a great spectacle. However the Ukraine conflict shows weaknesses in Russia’s armed forces.

It has not been possible for the Kremlin to win quickly and Russia’s economy, which is being squeezed by sanctions, is currently in the worst recession since the time of the Soviet Union’s fall.

Two decades ago, President George W. Bush of the United States joined Putin at Moscow’s May 9 celebrations. According to the Kremlin, this year’s event was not attended by any Western leaders.

According to two close sources, the United States has increased its weapons supply to Ukraine. Putin was also asked by certain members of the Russian military for more power against Ukraine. Moscow told the West its weapons supplies were legitimate targets.

There was speculation that Putin would make a special announcement about Ukraine before May 9th. This could include a declaration of war, or even national mobilization.

Kremlin spokeswoman Dmitry Peskov denied those claims on Wednesday and described them as “nonsense”.

To inquire about what Putin could say, the Kremlin didn’t respond. The speech will be given from Vladimir Lenin’s Mausoleum.

Putin reacted to Western exceptionalism by blaming the rise of neo Nazism, Russophobia and Neo-Nazism last year – two trends he has repeatedly cited when addressing Ukraine.