Russian President Vladimir Putin said today that his country was, is and will be invincible in the face of Nazism and plans to occupy the Eurasian giant.

«Russia has been and will remain an indestructible barrier against Nazism, Russophobia and anti-Semitism, and will fight against the outrages committed by the advocates of these aggressive and destructive ideas. Truth and justice are on our side,» he said in his speech at the start of the military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany.

Today we are all united by feelings of joy and sorrow, pride and gratitude, adoration for the generation that crushed Nazism and won freedom for all mankind at the cost of millions of lives, he remarked.

In this regard, he stressed that their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents saved the homeland and bequeathed to them the defence of it, as well as being united and firmly defending national interests, millenary history, culture and traditional values.

In this regard, the head of state said that today all the people of the Slavic territory, as heirs of the victors, celebrate May 9 as the most important holiday for the whole nation, for every family, for every Russian.

Putin stressed that Russia «remembers the lessons of the Second World War and will never accept the distortion of its events, because almost 80 percent of the world’s population was dragged into the fiery orbit of the war».

The complete defeat of Nazi Germany, militaristic Japan and their satellites in different regions of the world was achieved through the joint efforts of the countries of the United Nations, he recalled.

He also stressed that the opening of a second front in Europe, after the decisive battles on the territory of the Soviet Union, brought victory closer.

«We highly value the contribution to our common struggle of the soldiers of the allied armies, the participants of the resistance and the brave people of China. All those who fought for a peaceful future,» Putin praised.

The dignitary urged the whole of Russian society to continue to admire the veterans, their sincere love for their homeland, their determination to defend their home, the values of humanism and justice.

Let us give these traditions, this great heritage the most important thing in our hearts and pass it on to future generations, the head of state insisted.

In this context, he assured that the whole country, society and people support the participants in the special military operation in Ukraine.

«We are proud of their courage and determination, of the strength that has always brought us only victory,» he argued.

We will always rely on our unity in military and peaceful affairs, in achieving strategic goals, in solving problems on behalf of Russia, its greatness and prosperity, the president concluded.

Putin’s speech was followed by a military parade in honour of the memory of Soviet heroes.

Columns of armoured cars, rocket launchers, tractors, tanks and other tracked vehicles marched through Moscow’s Red Square on Friday, making up more than 180 units of war materiel on display.

Also on parade were 11,500 soldiers from the different armed formations of the Slavic country, of whom 1,500 are active participants in the armed conflict on Ukrainian territory, as well as 13 line-ups representing friendly countries.

Leaders from around thirty countries attended the celebration, including the presidents of Brazil, Venezuela and Cuba, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Nicolás Maduro and Miguel Díaz-Canel, respectively, as well as the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, and the Serbian leader, Aleksandar Vucic.