On Victory Day parade, UK Minister mocks Russian generals’ ‘Absurdity’

LONDON: Britain’s defence minister slammed Russia’s bejewelled military brass at the annual Victory Day parade in Moscow, which was emphasised by President Vladimir Putin’s speech, on Monday.

Putin spoke to a large crowd in Red Square in Moscow for a national holiday commemorating the Soviet victory in World War II, despite Russian military casualties in Ukraine.

Ben Wallace, the UK Defence Secretary and a former soldier, was scheduled to speak at the National Army Museum later Monday.

According to extracts published in advance by his department, he would add, “All professional soldiers should be appalled by the behaviour of the Russian Army.”

“Not only are they engaged in an illegal invasion and war crimes but their top brass have failed their own rank and file to the extent they should be court martialled.”

Putin delivered an address to troops on Monday, telling them they were protecting the “Motherland” in Ukraine.

He has defended Russia’s military activities by claiming that they are a “denazification” of the neighbouring country.

Wallace stated that he intended to “call out the ridiculousness of Russian generals—dazzling in their groomed parade uniforms and burdened down by their numerous medals,” claiming that they were “utterly involved in Putin’s theft of their forefathers’ noble legacy of… resisting fascism.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his pride in Ukrainians who fought to fight Nazism on Monday, saying he would not allow World War II triumph to be “appropriated” by Russians.

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