On May 9, local time, the Red Square in Moscow, Russia was lively again, and the Victory Day military parade was held as scheduled.
It was the first major event for Russian President Vladimir Putin, now 71, after starting his fifth term, which ends in 2030, after which he is also eligible for a sixth term.
"We are a united and great country, and together we will overcome all obstacles, achieve everything we have planned, and achieve victory together," Putin said at the ceremony, expressing his determination to win, while also emphasizing that "Russia is now going through a difficult, critical period." The fate and future of the Motherland depends on each of us. ”
"Russia will do everything to prevent a global conflict, but at the same time we will not allow anyone to threaten us. Our strategic forces are always on alert," Putin said in his speech, and apparently "strategic forces" meant nuclear forces, which were also presented that day, although without fanfare.
As Mr. Putin walked to the podium accompanied by his officers, the black briefcase carried by his bodyguards reportedly drew attention.
Similar to the "nuclear football" of the US president, the Russian portable nuclear button Cheget, guarded 24 hours a day by armed guards, has a personalized key code.
Commentators have pointed out that as tensions between Russia and the West soar to Cold War levels, Putin has once again issued a "stern reminder" about Russia's nuclear forces.
In fact, not only the nuclear briefcase, which was not conspicuous, but also another item related to nuclear forces also appeared on Red Square that day, which was even more huge and eye-catching.
Three Yars mobile launchers appeared, which are known as "Russia's nuclear shields" and can guarantee the flight of missiles for 12,000 kilometers.
Nine world leaders appeared on Red Square that day to watch the Victory Day parade with Putin. These include leaders from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, as well as leaders from Cuba, Laos and Guinea-Bissau.
When Putin walked with his old friends, the bodyguard with a nuclear briefcase still kept a distance of no more than 1 meter from Putin, and it was obvious that this thing needed to be next to the president at all times.
From another picture, it can be seen that the nuclear briefcase is not carried by only one bodyguard, it seems to be carried by multiple bodyguards in turn, which can also reduce the danger to a certain extent.
Victory Day on May 9, which originated in 1945 when the Soviet Union defeated Nazi Germany in World War II, has become the most important public holiday in Russia over time.
In the past, the Victory Day parade was extremely grand, but this year's parade, both in terms of the number of equipment and the types of weapons, has been greatly "shrunk" compared with previous years.
In particular, modern tanks, which used to be the biggest attraction, are still not appearing this time, as last year.
According to General Viktor Zavarzhin, a member of the Russian State Duma's defense committee, modern tanks are sent to the front line to fight. Weapons such as modern tanks, infantry vehicles, and self-propelled guns are now the most needed at the front.