Immortal Regiment

A Russian-style 'Immortal Regiment' parade to commemorate the Day of Victory over Fascism in World War II was held on Tuesday in Banja Luka, the main city of Bosnia's Serb-dominated Republika Srpska, attended by Bosnian Serb president Milorad Dodik and Moscow's ambassador to the country, who used the event to justify Russia's war against Ukraine.

The "Immortal Regiment" procession walked its route from the "Alexander Nevsky" temple-monument to the monument of the Soviet Army, despite the ban of the mayor of Sofia, Yordanka Fandakova. Its participants stated that they will not give up, although they expect provocations, but they will not block traffic and move along main boulevards.

"A Ukrainian drone is flying peacefully over Moscow. It seems that the Kremlin has a high chance of being in the affected area very soon. Fireworks planned for May 9?" he wrote alongside the published video. Newsweek could not confirm the authenticity of the footage.

"Vazrazhdane" (Revival) MP Elena Guncheva announced she was leaving the party and the National Assembly. She did this through her Facebook account, and in her post, she criticized the leader of the pro-Russian political force Kostadin Kostadinov. Among them is that he treated the Russophiles in the party with contempt and took unaccounted money from his deputies.

Several thousand people in Moldova's capital Chisinau took part in an "Immortal Regiment" march on Monday, organised by the pro-Russian Socialist Party, PSRM, many of them breaking a new law that bans the display of symbols glorifying the former Soviet communist regime.

Serbia and Bosnia's Serb-dominated entity, Repubika Srpska, on Monday celerbrated Victory Day, the day when Russia marks its victory over Nazi Germany in 1945 with huge parades in Moscow.

At a time when support for Russia is controversial in Europe, EU candidate Serbia sent messages of support to the EU as well as Russia.

Tensions in front of the Monument to the Soviet Army on the occasion of the May 9 celebrations.

Early this morning, a drone poured yellow and blue paint on the monument, as a result of which volunteers gathered to clean up before the official guests from the traditional March of the Immortal Regiment arrived at the scene.

Russia's ambassador to Serbia, Aleksandar Botsan-Kharchenko, stated that Russia is committed to maintaining international peace and security and strict respect for the fundamental principles of the UN Charter, so that a tragedy similar to the Second World War would not happen again.

Asked to comment on the claim made by some Western media that Serbia was engaging in "saber-rattling" during a time of instability in Kosovo and Metohija, the defense minister said Belgrade did contribute to that instability.

The pro-Russian President of Moldova, Igor Dodon, and supporters of the Socialist Party on Thursday led a march to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Red Army victory over Nazi Germany and the end of World War II.

"It must be an equal celebration for everybody. Victory Day is a celebration of all citizens in Moldova," Dodon said.