Addressing troops and military hardware assembled on Moscow’s Red Square for commemorations marking the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, Putin linked Russia’s ongoing military campaign in Ukraine to what the Kremlin has repeatedly described as a struggle against Western influence and military expansion.

“The great feat of the generation of victors inspires the soldiers carrying out the goals of the special military operation today,” Putin said, using Moscow’s official terminology for the war in Ukraine.“They are confronting an aggressive force armed and supported by the entire NATO bloc.

And despite this, our heroes move forward,” he added.Putin also said he believed Russia’s military campaign was justified, declaring: “I firmly believe that our cause is just.”The remarks came during Russia’s annual Victory Day celebrations, one of the country’s most important patriotic events, which the Kremlin has increasingly used to rally domestic support for the war in Ukraine since the conflict began in February 2022.

Russia has repeatedly accused NATO and Western governments of escalating the conflict through military assistance, intelligence sharing and weapons deliveries to Ukraine. NATO members have said their support is aimed at helping Ukraine defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity against Russia’s invasion.

The war has reshaped European security dynamics, prompting increased defense spending across NATO states and the expansion of the alliance with the accession of Finland and Sweden.

Victory Day ceremonies in Moscow have taken on heightened political significance since the start of the conflict, with Russian authorities portraying the war as part of a historic struggle against external threats and Western pressure.

In a statement, the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation said Ukrainian forces continued attacks using drones and artillery despite the temporary truce announced by Russia.

“Despite the declaration of a ceasefire, Ukrainian armed groups continued to launch attacks using drones and artillery against the positions of our troops, as well as against civilian targets in the border areas of the Belgorod and Kursk regions,” the ministry said.

“Despite the declaration of a ceasefire, Ukrainian armed groups continued to launch attacks using drones and artillery against the positions of our troops, as well as against civilian targets in the border areas of the Belgorod and Kursk regions,” the ministry said.

The ministry said Russian forces responded “in kind” to the alleged violations, carrying out strikes against artillery systems, mortar positions, command centers and drone launch sites operated by Ukrainian forces.

The ceasefire had been announced by Moscow to coincide with ceremonies commemorating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, one of Russia’s most symbolically important national observances.The statement did not specify the scale of the reported attacks or provide casualty figures.

Border regions including Belgorod and Kursk have faced repeated drone strikes and shelling during the conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Kyiv has previously questioned the sincerity of temporary Russian ceasefire announcements, accusing Moscow of continuing military operations during declared pauses in fighting.

Neither side’s battlefield claims could be independently verified.

In a diplomatic note sent to foreign embassies and international organizations on Wednesday, Moscow said it would carry out “retaliatory strikes,” including against “decision-making centers” in Kyiv, should Ukraine attempt attacks linked to the commemorations.

Russia urged diplomatic missions to “ensure the timely evacuation of personnel from diplomatic and other missions, as well as citizens, from the city of Kyiv.”Ukraine did not immediately respond to the warning.The threat comes amid heightened tensions surrounding Russia’s annual Victory Day celebrations, a major state event commemorating the Soviet Union’s role in defeating Nazi Germany during World War Two.

Earlier this week, Russia announced a unilateral ceasefire for May 8-9 to coincide with the commemorations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the move and proposed a separate ceasefire beginning May 6, which Kyiv said Moscow ignored.Zelensky suggested earlier this week that Russia feared potential Ukrainian drone activity over Moscow during the parade.

In his nightly address on Wednesday, he accused Russia of continuing attacks despite Kyiv’s proposed truce and said Ukraine would “respond in kind.”Ukrainian officials reported multiple Russian strikes throughout Wednesday, including attacks in the northern Sumy region where local authorities said at least two people were killed at a kindergarten.

Overall, officials reported at least four deaths in attacks across the country.Military officers stationed on the eastern front told AFP that combat activity had continued at existing intensity levels despite ceasefire discussions.“The enemy continued to carry out infantry raids and attempts to storm our positions,” one Ukrainian officer said on condition of anonymity, adding that Ukrainian forces had responded to Russian attacks.

Another frontline commander said fighting remained unchanged, describing the military response as “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”Russia’s defense ministry said it intercepted 53 Ukrainian drones overnight between 2100 GMT and 0700 GMT, a lower number than reported in previous days.

The ministry did not specify whether any attacks occurred after Kyiv’s proposed ceasefire deadline.The conflict has intensified in recent weeks with both sides carrying out strikes deep behind front lines. On Tuesday, Ukrainian drone attacks reportedly killed two people in the Russian city of Cheboksary along the Volga River, hundreds of kilometers from Ukraine’s border.Security measures in Moscow have tightened ahead of Friday’s parade.

Russian authorities have announced intermittent citywide internet shutdowns and said military hardware would be removed from the parade for the first time in nearly two decades.Diplomatic efforts to end the war, now in its fifth year, have shown limited progress.

Moscow continues to demand that Ukraine withdraw from four regions claimed by Russia, conditions Kyiv has rejected.