Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The question is, if the Russian leader is “just” in denial, or if he has simply lost touch with reality.
Most countries fighting for more than four years in a war that was supposed to be an easy victory probably would not spend time and resources arranging massive parades.
Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, however, remains determined to host the traditional Victory Day parade on May 9. He wants to project absolute strength.
Yet the facts on the ground paint a different picture. The fighting has firmly crossed the border and entered deep into Russian territory.
Ukrainian forces are hitting targets far beyond the old front line, and April even saw Ukraine’s biggest territorial gains on the battlefield since the summer of 2024.
Panic triggers airport shutdowns
Out of fear of Ukrainian attacks, the Russian aviation authority Rosaviatsiya suddenly shut down airports in 15 cities on May 5. Officials also placed strict restrictions on all four Moscow airports.
Governor Ruslan Kukharuk of the Khanty-Mansi region recently even issued an air raid alert. That region is more than 2,000 kilometers away from the international border between Ukraine and Russia.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported in its May 5 update on the war that there had been no actual evidence of an attempted strike there. The sheer fear alone was enough to trigger alarms.
And with Moscow being only 1,000 kilometers from the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, the Russian capital is well within reach of Ukrainian strikes — but Putin still insists on holding a parade on Victory Day.
A decision that shows how the Russian leader is either oblivious to the reality of what is going on or simply in a state of denial.
Refusing to accept reality
As the Russian population increasingly bears the costs of Russia’s war in Ukraine, with the Russian government having raised taxes to counter the growing federal budget deficit, Putin pushing forward with the parade this Saturday is a sign that the Russian leader is out of touch with reality.
“Putin’s insistence on holding the May 9 Victory Day parade reflects his refusal to accept the reality that Ukraine has brought Putin’s war back to Russia,” the ISW writes in its update.
The think tank even notes that pro-Kremlin military bloggers are growing increasingly dissatisfied with the Kremlin’s priorities, with one accusing the Russian Ministry of Defence of putting “vanity” first in reference to the planned parade.
Sources: Institute for the Study of War, Rosaviatsiya, Telegram post from Military Observer
