May 9th 2024.
Next up, we have a rather unfortunate incident involving Russian President Vladimir Putin. It seems that during his Victory Day parade, hackers managed to sabotage the TV coverage, causing quite the embarrassment for the dictator. As Russia celebrated the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, viewers in at least four regions were shown footage of the destruction in Ukraine instead.
To make matters worse, the footage compared Putin to Hitler and even went as far as to show his patriotic ‘Z’ symbol as being similar to the swastika. Every Russian soldier was labeled as a ‘killer’, and viewers were also told about how their president had freed murderers and pedophiles to fight in his war, only for them to offend again. As if that wasn't enough, there was also a caption referring to Putin's ex-wife earning billions by lending to Russians at a staggering 300% per annum.
The hacked TV channels were airing the parade, including Putin's speech threatening the West with his strategic nuclear weapons, when the interruption occurred. In addition to this, footage from the Crocus City concert hall massacre in March was shown, where ISIS was responsible for the deaths of 145 people. This was done to highlight the alleged failure of Putin's security services to protect the public.
The regions affected by the TV hacking were Omsk, Irkutsk, Orenburg, and Bashkortostan. While the hack may have caused some chaos, it also had a hidden agenda - to encourage viewers to join the opposition against Putin's regime. It is still unclear as to who was behind the hack, whether it was an opposition group or the Ukrainian secret services.
The Victory Day parade is a sacred event in the Russian calendar, commemorating the deaths of millions of people who perished in World War II. However, Putin has been known to use this event to promote Russian patriotism and militarism, especially in the midst of the war he triggered against Ukraine. When he sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, 2022, he even tried to justify his actions by evoking World War II.
During the parade, a legendary Soviet-era T-34 tank with a red flag atop rolled through Red Square, symbolizing the victory of the Soviet Union's Red Army over Nazi Germany. However, Putin's focus on World War II has raised some eyebrows, with many seeing it as an attempt to revive the Soviet Union's clout and prestige.
Some experts believe that Putin's reliance on Soviet practices and his continuous self-identification with the USSR as the victor of Nazism is a result of his lack of any other strong legitimacy. According to Nikolay Epplee, this is what forced the Kremlin to declare 'denazification' as the goal of their war. This limited worldview, rooted in the Soviet past, has caused the Russian leadership to become trapped in their own beliefs.
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