Mobile networks shut down as Putin speaks in Moscow

TT

Updated 09.33 | Published 07.27

 

Barricades in Moscow on Saturday. Photo: Pavel Bednakov/AP/TT

The military parade in Moscow during Russia's Victory Day celebrations has begun.

While Vladimir Putin was giving a short speech, it was reported that mobile networks had been shut down in the Russian capital.

At 9 am Swedish time, Russia began its traditional parade on Red Square in Moscow to celebrate victory in World War II.

In addition to Russian war veterans from World War II, soldiers who participated in Russia's ongoing offensive war in Ukraine are also sitting next to Putin in the stands, according to state-run Tass.

- They are defending themselves against an aggressive force supported by the entire NATO bloc, Putin claimed in his speech, referring to Ukraine.

Without heavy weapons

According to TASS, more than 1,000 Russian soldiers are taking part in the parade. But this year's parade is, as expected, significantly smaller than usual. For the first time in many years, it was held without tanks, missiles or other heavy weapons systems. The Russian Defense Ministry has explained this by "the current operational situation".

On Friday, US President Donald Trump announced that Ukraine and Russia have agreed to a three-day ceasefire, May 9-11, to commemorate the end of World War II.

In a post on the X platform, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Trump and the US for the diplomatic effort. In the post, Zelensky also writes that an agreement has been reached to exchange prisoners of war. He also notes that there are currently no plans for Ukrainian attacks that could affect the celebrations in the Russian capital.

“Red Square is less important to us than the lives of Ukrainian prisoners who can be brought home,” he writes on X.

But on Saturday morning, on the first day of the promised ceasefire, Ukraine’s air defenses reported new Russian strikes during the evening or night. 34 of the 43 drones that Russia has sent towards Ukraine since 6 p.m. on Friday evening have reportedly been destroyed.

Time unknown

In the Chernihiv region, two civilians, a 70-year-old man and his 49-year-old son, were killed on Friday evening. This was reported by Ukraine’s National Rescue Service on the Telegram platform. Another man was reportedly injured in the attack.

On Friday evening, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin claimed that several Ukrainian drones, heading towards the Russian capital, had been shot down.

It is unclear from what exact time the ceasefire between the two countries is said to have come into effect.

In parallel, the governor of the Ukrainian Dnipropetrovsk region, Oleksandr Ganzja, stated on Saturday morning that two more people had been killed in Russian attacks. However, the governor's update did not state when the attacks took place.