"Fighting for our people in the heart of our historical areas is underway": One day after his speech on the state of the nation, the Kremlin chief once again used a concert appearance in the Luzhniki Olympic Stadium for patriotic slogans. Children from Mariupol are also brought onto the stage.
At a patriotic rally in Moscow, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin reiterated his view that the Russian army is in Ukraine to recapture territory "historically" owned by Russia. Russia is fighting for its "historic territories" in Ukraine, Putin said at the concert in the Luzhniki Olympic Stadium.
"Today the (military) hierarchy told me that battles are underway for our people in the heart of our historical areas," the head of state said in his speech, which lasted only a few minutes. He praised the Russian soldiers deployed in Ukraine for their "heroic" and "courageous" fight: "We are proud of you." In his state of the nation address the day before, Putin accused the West of being "fully" responsible for the escalation in Ukraine. The West wants to "do away with Russia once and for all," he said.
The concert in support of the military operation in Ukraine was entitled "Honour to the Defenders of the Fatherland" and was organized by the authorities. Tens of thousands of people took part in the freezing cold of minus 15 degrees. Hundreds of Russian flags were waved in the crowd. The event took place ahead of Defender of the Fatherland Day, which is celebrated in Russia on Thursday. Friday marks the first anniversary of the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine.
Patriotic songs were performed on the stage. In addition to Putin, fighters deployed on the Ukrainian front also addressed the crowd. In addition, children from Ukraine - especially from Mariupol - took the stage where they crowded around a Russian military man. He shouted to the crowd: "We will win!". Russia is accused of kidnapping thousands of Ukrainian children from occupied territories. Moscow, which regards these areas as Russian, denies the allegations and speaks of perfectly legal adoptions.
