No expense is spared when it comes to showing the people of Russia how big and shiny their navy and armed forces are. But think back to April and the loss of the Moskva – the flagship warship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Direct hit Ukrainian Defense Ministry said; fire on ship according to Russia. A significant blow to both Russia’s prestige and its capabilities in the Black Sea. Nor is it the only loss for the Black Sea Fleet, against a Ukrainian navy that has been massively reduced since the annexation of Crimea and largely confined to its ports, as is its merchant shipping. Blocking the Black Sea was a major strategic victory for Russia, forcing Ukraine to mine itself. The standoff at Ukrainian ports has left vast swathes of the world without grain, mainly, but also fertilizer, sunflower oil and a host of other exports that would have brought much-needed cash to the Ukrainian economy. Despite the grain agreement concluded in Constantinople, no ships have yet set sail. It’s a sign of a deep lack of faith in Russia’s intentions, especially after missiles hit the port of Odessa with the ink on the deal almost dry. Image: Russian corvette Aleksin fires missiles during the parade Image: Warships are seen during the celebration in Novorossiysk. Photo: AP Today Putin promised more big guns. The long-touted Tsirkon hypersonic missile will be delivered to Russia’s armed forces in the coming months. The frigate Admiral Gorshkov, which has already test-fired the missile, will be its first recipient. According to Putin, the Tsirkon missile systems “will have no equal in the world.” The crowd along the Palace Embankment may not have taken to this particularly well, but they loved the parade and aerial flight. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 0:53 Putin promises supersonic missiles “Did you hear people cheering when Putin came out?” said Jana, whose dislike of all things British was palpable. “I hope you heard, I don’t think you have such a strong leader.” “I believe you have pitted us against each other, two brotherly peoples,” she said, pointing her finger menacingly. “I hope you understand what the Russian spirit is when you are here.” Natalya in an increasingly common ‘Z’ T-shirt told me she was confident of victory. When I asked her what she meant by victory, she said “Victory over fascism, over the Nazis, for peace!”. “What does the word ‘Nazi’ mean to you?”, I ask. “People who are only for their own nation, and do not accept others,” is the answer. This is a broad definition. No wonder it has captured the imagination of so many in Russia. It is a world away from the concept of death camps and the horrific atrocities of Nazi Germany. But not everyone is so sure about their president. Subscribe to Ukraine War Diaries on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and Spreaker “De-Nazification was fair for Hitler, but there is no Nazism in Ukraine,” says Oleg. “This war is Putin’s last attack on the world. The personal attack of a mad dictator against the whole world because the whole civilized world is now against this outrage that is happening.” A lone voice in today’s crowd. Maybe even in today’s Russia. But there may be many more like Oleg who do not attend events like these, but who are deeply uncomfortable with the events of the past five months, their reservations overwhelmed by the powerful force of patriotism that Vladimir Putin so well evokes.
title: “War In Ukraine Mighty Force Of Putin Whipped Patriotism Overwhelms Doubts About Russia S Might Global News " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-05” author: “Roy Brady”
No expense is spared when it comes to showing the people of Russia how big and shiny their navy and armed forces are. But think back to April and the loss of the Moskva – the flagship warship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Direct hit Ukrainian Defense Ministry said; fire on ship according to Russia. A significant blow to both Russia’s prestige and its capabilities in the Black Sea. Nor is it the only loss for the Black Sea Fleet, against a Ukrainian navy that has been massively reduced since the annexation of Crimea and largely confined to its ports, as is its merchant shipping. Blocking the Black Sea was a major strategic victory for Russia, forcing Ukraine to mine itself. The standoff at Ukrainian ports has left vast swathes of the world without grain, mainly, but also fertilizer, sunflower oil and a host of other exports that would have brought much-needed cash to the Ukrainian economy. Despite the grain agreement concluded in Constantinople, no ships have yet set sail. It’s a sign of a deep lack of faith in Russia’s intentions, especially after missiles hit the port of Odessa with the ink on the deal almost dry. Image: Russian corvette Aleksin fires missiles during the parade Image: Warships are seen during the celebration in Novorossiysk. Photo: AP Today Putin promised more big guns. The long-touted Tsirkon hypersonic missile will be delivered to Russia’s armed forces in the coming months. The frigate Admiral Gorshkov, which has already test-fired the missile, will be its first recipient. According to Putin, the Tsirkon missile systems “will have no equal in the world.” The crowd along the Palace Embankment may not have taken to this particularly well, but they loved the parade and aerial flight. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 0:53 Putin promises supersonic missiles “Did you hear people cheering when Putin came out?” said Jana, whose antipathy for all things British was palpable. “I hope you heard, I don’t think you have such a strong leader.” “I believe you have pitted us against each other, two brotherly peoples,” she said, pointing her finger menacingly. “I hope you understand what the Russian spirit is when you are here.” Natalya in an increasingly common ‘Z’ T-shirt told me she was confident of victory. When I asked her what she meant by victory, she said “Victory over fascism, over the Nazis, for peace!”. “What does the word ‘Nazi’ mean to you?”, I ask. “People who are only for their own nation, and do not accept others,” is the answer. This is a broad definition. No wonder it has captured the imagination of so many in Russia. It is a world away from the concept of death camps and the horrific atrocities of Nazi Germany. But not everyone is so sure about their president. Subscribe to Ukraine War Diaries on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and Spreaker “De-Nazification was fair for Hitler, but there is no Nazism in Ukraine,” says Oleg. “This war is Putin’s last attack on the world. The personal attack of a mad dictator against the whole world because the whole civilized world is now against this outrage that is happening.” A lone voice in today’s crowd. Maybe even in today’s Russia. But there may be many more like Oleg who do not attend events like these, but who are deeply uncomfortable with the events of the past five months, their reservations overwhelmed by the powerful force of patriotism that Vladimir Putin so well evokes.
