How russia’s navy day became a display of fear and weakness
This year’s russian Navy Day turned out to be even more embarrassing than expected. Instead of a grand spectacle showcasing military power, russians were presented with a pale imitation of a celebration held behind closed doors, featuring putin posing in front of a painted submarine backdrop.
▫️ Residents of st. petersburg were hardly in a festive mood either. The dictator’s visit to the city was accompanied by a near-total mobile internet and communications blackout, as well as widespread street closures.
▫️ The “celebratory” atmosphere also disappointed sailors, who wandered across an empty Palace Square, puzzled by the absence of spectators. Even pro-war Z-bloggers did not hide their frustration, describing the event as “a parade in a garage cooperative.”
The event became one of the clearest indicators of what the war has done to russia. The russian navy — whose supposed might propaganda spent decades promoting to the world—is now unable to safely sail even along the Neva River.
