Russia invades Ukraine: Putin defends invasion as Moscow celebrates 'Victory Day Parade'

The New Arab's live coverage of the latest from the Russian invasion of Ukraine concludes for the day. 

Here were the key developments: 

Putin defends invasion during "Victory Day Parade" in Moscow 

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered his highly anticipated Victory Day speech at a giant military parade in Moscow.

He said he had no choice but to send troops into Ukraine to defend the Russian "Motherland" from an "absolutely unacceptable threat".

Ukraine's President says 'we will win' following Putin's parade 

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will not allow the Soviet Union's victory over the Nazis to be "appropriated" by Putin.

"We are proud of our ancestors who together with other nations in the anti-Hitler coalition defeated Nazism. And we will not allow anyone to annex this victory. We will not allow it to be appropriated," he said.

He compared the Russian invasion to the Nazi occupation of parts of present-day Ukraine, vowing, "We won then. We will win now."

Russian general 'should be court martialled,' says UK defence secretary 

Britain's Defence Secretary Ben Wallace slammed what he calls the "absurdity" of Russian generals as they flanked Putin at the Victory Day parade "resplendent in their manicured parade uniforms and weighed down by their many medals".

He said "all professional soldiers should be appalled at the behaviour of the Russian Army".

"Not only are they engaged in an illegal invasion and war crimes but their top brass failed their own rank and file to the extent they should be court martialled."

Russia is using 'ageing' munitions

As the conflict in Ukraine drags on, Russia's stockpiles of precision-guided munitions are likely being depleted, leaving it reliant on "ageing" munitions that are less accurate, Britain's military intelligence said.

"Russia's invasion of Ukraine has revealed shortcomings in its ability to conduct precision strikes at scale," the defence ministry said in a note.

Macron warns not to humiliate Russia 

Macron said peace efforts will not be served by Russia's "humiliation".

"Tomorrow we'll have a peace to build, let's never forget that," he told reporters in Strasbourg.

"The terms of the discussion and negotiation will be set by Ukraine and Russia, but that will not be done through... the exclusion of one another, nor even in their humiliation."

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UN Human Rights Council to hold session on Ukraine 

The UN Human Rights Council announced it will convene a special session on Thursday to address alleged Russian human rights violations during its war in Ukraine.

More than 50 countries on Monday backed a request from Kyiv and demanded an extraordinary meeting of the UN's top rights body to examine "the deteriorating human rights situation in Ukraine stemming from the Russian aggression".

Yevheniia Filipenko, Ukraine's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, said it would send a strong signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin about Moscow's international isolation.

🚨BREAKING

The Human Rights Council is to convene its 34th special session on 12 May on the "deteriorating human rights situation in #Ukraine stemming from the Russian aggression."

INFO #SS34 ▶ https://t.co/aduV32GKSi pic.twitter.com/693gAgL5o1

— UN Human Rights Council (@UN_HRC) May 9, 2022

EU chief to meet Orban amid Russian oil ban row 

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen was headed to Hungary on Monday to meet Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is holding up Brussels' plans for an embargo on Russian oil.

"They will discuss issues related to European security of energy supply," von der Leyen's spokesman Eric Mamer said.

Landlocked Hungary relies on Russian oil from a single pipeline and Orban has warned he cannot approve the European Commission's proposed sixth package of EU sanctions against Moscow.

'Sigh of relief' after Putin doesn't use speech to escalate war

One of the BBC's chief correspondents, Frank Gardner, said on Monday: "There will be a collective sigh of relief in much of the world that Putin did not, as was feared, use [his speech] to escalate the war in Ukraine". 

Putin addressed thousands of troops and members of the public in Red Square to mark Moscow's "Victory Day". 

Gardner said there was a disconnect between the military grandeur of the parade in Red Square and Moscow's defeats across Ukraine. 

EU considers sending more funds to eastern European states 

The European Commission is considering offering landlocked Eastern European Union states more money to upgrade oil infrastructure in a bid to convince them to agree to an embargo on Russian oil, an EU source told Reuters.

The measures are part of a wider package of new sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

The adoption of the legal text still needs an agreement on the size of the investment, a source said, adding another sticking point was Cyprus's concerns about a proposed ban on the sale of real estate to Russians.

Belarus leader says West 'at war with Russia' in Ukraine 

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a key ally of Moscow, on Monday accused the West of supporting Nazi ideas and of being "at war with Russia" in Ukraine.

"Followers of the Nazis are obsessed with the idea of revenge, but they are not ready to fight openly against the heirs of the Soviet people," Lukashenko said at a speech on Victory Day, an annual holiday in Russia and other ex-Soviet countries to mark the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945.

"That's why they are flooding Ukraine with weapons, waging war on memorials, symbols and veterans," he said.

Serbs stage pro-Russia marches on "Victory Day" 

Pro-Russia marches were staged in Serbia and the Serb-run entity in Bosnia — both traditional allies of Moscow in the Balkans — amid ceremonies on Monday to mark the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

Serbia organised military jet flyovers and officials laid wreaths as part of the celebrations.

A Serbian cabinet minister and Russia’s ambassador to Serbia joined dozens of people in the Moscow-backed march in Belgrade, an annual event mirroring the one held in Russia to honour WWII victims.

Marchers carried a cardboard figure of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a big ‘Z’ sign symbolizing support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Kyiv condemns decision by German police to confiscate Ukraine flag

Kyiv has condemned Berlin's "mistake" after German police confiscate a giant Ukrainian flag displayed by demonstrators at the Soviet War Memorial in the German capital.

Police say it was to ensure that a World War Two commemoration ceremony stayed peaceful after a ban on displays of flags or military symbols at 15 memorial sites across Berlin.

Fighters in Mariupol steelworks vow to fight on

Ukrainian forces in the sprawling Azovstal steelworks in the Russian-controlled city of Mariupol - the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in the devastated port city - have vowed to fight on.

Ukraine said all women, children and elderly civilians have been evacuated from Azovstal as part of a UN and Red Cross humanitarian mission.

Russia-Ukraine talks continue remotely 

Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said on Monday that peace talks with Ukraine had not stopped and were being held remotely. 

Moscow accused Kyiv of stalling the talks and using reports of atrocities committed by Russian troops in Ukraine to undermine negotiations. 

Asked when-in person talks might be held with Ukrainian negotiators, Medinsky said: "We need more specifics on hand in order to meet in person."

Ukraine and Russia have not held face-to-face peace talks since March 29, though they have met by video link.

Russian ambassador to Poland painted red 

The Russian ambassador to Poland was painted red in a protest against the invasion of Ukraine

The ambassador, Sergey Andreyev, was visiting a memorial when he was surrounded by anti-war protesters.

The protesters threw red paint at him and his security while chanting and waving Ukrainian flags. 

The Russian ambassador to Poland was painted red in protest against war in Ukrainepic.twitter.com/4noL7HzvlK
https://t.co/2XGFxqB8Vp via @Piotr_Halicki #Ukraine

— Liveuamap (@Liveuamap) May 9, 2022

Four missiles hit Odessa area in southern Ukraine, says Ukrainian military 

Ukraine's military said on Monday that four high-precision Onyx missiles fired from the Russian-controlled Crimea peninsula had struck the Odesa area in southern Ukraine, but gave no other details.

Putin 'mirroring fascism' of 77 years ago, says British Defence Secretary

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his generals are mirroring the fascism and tyranny of 77 years ago and their invasion of Ukraine dishonours its military past, British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said on Monday.

Wallace was speaking as Putin addressed the massed ranks of service personnel on Red Square on the anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany, evoking the memory of Soviet heroism to urge his army towards victory in Ukraine.

Kyiv rebuffs Russian claims its fighting "Nazis" in Ukraine

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine would not allow Russia to appropriate victory in World War II, speaking on the anniversary of the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany.

"Today we celebrate Victory Day over Nazism. We are proud of our ancestors who together with other nations in the anti-Hitler coalition defeated Nazism. And we will not allow anyone to annex this victory. We will not allow it to be appropriated," the Ukrainian leader said.

Zelensky listed several Ukrainian towns and cities currently under the control of invading Russian forces, saying that Ukrainians during World War II had ousted Nazi Germany's forces from these regions.

"The names of these cities inspire us today. They give us faith that we will drive the occupiers from our land," Zelensky said in the video address, listing Mariupol, Kherson, and the Crimean peninsula by name.

Putin evokes World War Two triumphs at military parade 

Russian President Vladimir Putin evoked the memory of Soviet heroism in World War Two on Monday to urge his army towards victory in Ukraine.

He directly addressed soldiers fighting in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine which Russia has pledged to "liberate" from Kyiv.

"Defending the Motherland when its fate is being decided has always been sacred," he said. "Today you are fighting for our people in Donbas, for the security of Russia, our homeland."

Putin's 11-minute speech on day 75 of the invasion offered no assessment of progress in the war and gave no indication of how long it might continue.

Hard to read Putin’s speech today claiming Russia’s military is fighting the ‘revival of Nazism’ & to liberate Ukraine from ‘Nazi filth’ when I just interviewed a man who was thrown in a freezing cellar, cold water poured on his legs & threatened with execution -by Russian troops

— Sarah Rainsford (@sarahrainsford) May 8, 2022