No public events are taking place. There are no speeches or memorials for fallen soldiers. It’s a quiet day in Russia.
Three years after launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian officials are observing the anniversary with notable silence. President Vladimir Putin has no public appearances scheduled. This conflict marks Europe’s largest military engagement since World War II, yet the day is mostly ignored.
Russian state television opened its news with standard reports from the Ukraine front. There was no mention of the day’s significance.
Local officials, who usually support the Kremlin’s narrative of noble acts by Russian soldiers, were surprisingly subdued. There was no public mourning for the high number of casualties, estimated by U.S. intelligence to be in the hundreds of thousands, including those wounded.
Independent journalists in exile released a report claiming that over 165,000 Russian soldiers have died since the conflict began. This number is based on court records and is hard to verify, as Russia’s defense ministry keeps casualty figures hidden.
A high-ranking Russian diplomat, Sergei Ryabkov, did not acknowledge the anniversary but discussed past U.S. efforts to strengthen ties with Russia and seek peace. He emphasized that a quick cease-fire without addressing the core issues would only lead to renewed conflict. This statement came shortly after U.S. and Russian officials met for the first time in three years.
Ryabkov stressed the need for a lasting solution, saying, “We need to look for a long-term settlement that addresses the deeper reasons for the conflict in Ukraine and its surroundings.”
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Source linkPolitics and Government,Moscow (Russia),Russia,Ukraine,Putin, Vladimir V,Trump, Donald J
