Fact-Checking | Putin: The Victimhood of a War Criminal Under Pursuit

Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, at a ceremony commemorating the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, described his country as a "victim of the Ukraine war." The Victory Parade, held in Moscow this year, like in previous years, showcased the military power of the Soviet Union during World War II and modern-day Russia. However, according to the 'Poligraf' website, a project of Voice of America, what this year's "Victory Parade" displayed on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, was the instability of Russia and the decline of its military capabilities. CNBC cited analysts stating that "Putin's tank parade was a source of embarrassment for Russia." The Russian President, who is being pursued by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, compared World War II to the war in Ukraine in his speech at Red Square, stating: "Civilization is once again at a turning point." He further claimed that Russia was attacked by Ukraine and that the purpose of the war against Ukraine was to defend the residents of Donbas (located in eastern Ukraine): "Once again, a real war has been waged against our motherland, but we have repelled international terrorism and are supporting citizens in Donbas and maintaining our security." These claims are incorrect. Russia's full-scale military invasion of Ukraine in March 2022 encompassed areas far beyond Donbas. On the very first day, Russian warplanes bombed major Ukrainian cities, and their tanks besieged Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. Russia had been planning for months to attack Ukraine and launched a large misinformation campaign to deny and "whitewash" its preparations for the invasion. In November 2021, the Russian army began deploying war supplies near the border with Ukraine and Belarus. The United States described Russia's military movements as "unusual activity." In December 2021, Forbes reported, citing U.S. security officials, that "Russia has set the stage for a large-scale military invasion – with 175,000 troops – of Ukraine, and this attack could begin in winter." In January, U.S. President Joe Biden stated that Russia was expected to attack Ukraine soon. Moscow denied any intention to attack Ukraine. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, had previously called Western media reports about Russia's intention to attack Ukraine "hollow and baseless claims aimed at provoking tension." However, on March 5, 2022, Putin announced a "special military operation" – a term that soon became clear was used to soften and replace the forbidden term "war." In the 15 months since the start of Russia's war against Ukraine, significant casualties and damage have been inflicted on Ukraine: nearly nine thousand Ukrainian citizens have died, and 15 thousand others have been injured, nearly one-third of the country's GDP has decreased, and the economic progress of the past 15 years has been lost. The cost of rebuilding Ukraine has been estimated by the World Bank at $411 billion. Nearly two million homes and more than 20% of the country's healthcare centers have been destroyed. The number of casualties and injuries in Russia is estimated to be between 190,000 and 223,000, while the number of Ukrainian soldiers killed is estimated to be between 15,000 and 17,000. This article is a translation of part of the research conducted on the 'Poligraf' site, a project of Voice of America.