Vladimir Putin appeared in front of a crowd waving flags at Moscow's Luzhniki stadium the day after delivering a speech on the state of the nation to the Russian parliament.
It was a terrifying sight, the Kremlin leader effectively presided over a military pep rally intended to rally the populace behind his disastrous military venture in Ukraine. In other words, Putin was presenting his conflict in Ukraine as a kind of crusade that would necessitate the sacrifice of his people.
Putin Calls War on Ukraine a 'Defense of the Family'
The Russian president, flanked by uniformed military personnel, led the crowd in applauding the soldiers who he claimed were defending the historical borders of our people, his fanciful term for the regions of Ukraine that Russia has attempted to annex but has been unable to take control of.
Per RadarOnline, in his speech to the Russian parliament, Putin went off on a rambling tangent about how the West was encouraging perversions while he claimed that Russia's traditional values were being attacked. The Russian president also framed his conflict with Ukraine at Luzhniki Stadium as an effort to protect the family.
Extreme military kitsch was present at the rally, such as an accordion group playing "333," a song written by a Russian combatant in the ongoing conflict. It also appealed to nostalgia for World War II. Many Russians hold a special place in their hearts for the Great Patriotic War, which is also a cause that Putin frequently champions.
But, according to reports, Russian extras were enlisted on social media sites and offered cash and free goods to attend a Wednesday patriotic stadium rally led by President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. An estimated 200,000 people who were chanting "Russia, Russia" attended the celebrations, but it seems the horde of supporters was just smoke and mirrors, as per NY Post.
Advertisements looking for extras to participate in the Defender of the Fatherland Day rally started popping up on well-known social media platforms last week, according to the Russian-language news Telegram channel Sirena. To appear at the stadium rally, the recruiters were looking for background actors, ideally under the age of 35-40. In exchange for their assistance, they were given free merchandise and 500 rubles, or about $7.
Missile System Near Putin's Patriotic Rally
According to numerous reports, an air defense missile system was seen close to the location where Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a four-minute speech honoring his country in Moscow. It appears to be one of several such systems, which suggests that as the invasion of Ukraine drags on, the Kremlin is concerned about an aerial attack.
A Pantsir missile system was reportedly installed outside Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium, where thousands of people had gathered on Wednesday to hear Putin speak and some had paid to attend. These mobile air defense systems are designed to stop drones, cruise missiles, and aircraft from attacking Moscow. The surface-to-air missiles started showing up on Russian rooftops in the capital last month, Yahoo reported.
As Putin's war continues, Moscow has not yet been attacked, unlike the capital of Ukraine, but bases deep inside Russian territory have been hit. The strikes were attributed to Ukrainian drones by Russia, which has launched thousands of missiles, suicide drones, and other weapons at Ukrainian towns on a nearly daily basis, striking indiscriminate targets like train stations, schools, hospitals, and residential areas.
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