Russia's Military and Cultural Struggles Amidst Ukraine War

The Kremlin's conflation of the Great Patriotic War and its current "special military operation" in Ukraine has led to the use of World War II analogies to justify Russian aggression. However, the cancellation or scaling back of Victory Day parades in 23 regions, including those that border Ukraine, risks inflaming a perceived sense of injustice and draws attention to the lack of anything to celebrate. Continued Russian military underperformance in Ukraine and the insistent use of World War II analogies raise the prospect that the government will be seen as besmirching the memory of the Great Victory.