Putin times his inauguration with Moscow's annual Victory Day parade marking the Soviet defeat of Nazi Germany - as despot extends his rule by another six years after 'sham' election

Tanks and columns of troops are massing successful Moscow up of Russia's yearly Victory Day - timed this twelvemonth to coincide pinch Vladimir Putin's latest statesmanlike inauguration aft different predetermination triumph denounced arsenic a 'sham'.

The despot is group for different six years successful nan Kremlin aft emphatically and unsurprisingly winning March's statesmanlike poll, pinch his caller word formally opening connected Tuesday.

Two days later location will beryllium nan accepted show of subject mightiness successful nan Russian capital's Red Square successful Victory Day processions marking nan country's publication to defeating Nazi Germany successful nan Second World War.

The latest showcase - which has seen large-scale rehearsals astatine nan bosom of Moscow coming - comes amid reports Russia is losing 1,000 troops per time successful its ongoing invasion of Ukraine which was launched backmost successful February 2022.

Mr Putin was coming seen attending a wide alongside Orthodox Christians celebrating Easter - while Russian rocket and drone attacks killed two and wounded astatine slightest six group successful Ukraine overnight.

Tuesday's inauguration ceremonial will impact Mr Putin putting a manus connected nan constitution arsenic he officially originates his latest word - continuing a spell successful powerfulness which began connected New Year's Eve successful 1999 erstwhile he became acting president.

He has since been successful in crushing governmental opposition, moving independent-minded journalists retired of nan state and dispensing pinch once-favoured rich | allies.

Analysts opportunity he remains committed to his warfare successful Ukraine contempt early Russian hopes of swiftly toppling Volodymyr Zelensky's authorities having been frustrated.

More than 450,000 Russian troops person been killed aliases wounded since Mr Putin launched nan invasion, Britain's equipped forces curate Leo Docherty suggested past week successful Parliament.

He besides claimed 'tens of 1000 much person already deserted since nan commencement of nan conflict' and 'over 10,000 Russian armoured vehicles' had been destroyed.

Russia has not released immoderate casualty figures since September 2022 but Ukraine's equipped forces said Russia suffered 1,120 casualties successful 24 hours past Wednesday.

That made it nan 5th time moving pinch numbers of wounded aliases dormant topping 1,000.

But nan Russian authorities is trying nan steer nan nation's attraction to this week's double celebrations, pinch Mr Putin's inauguration connected Tuesday 2 days up of nan events marking Victory Day.

Thursday's showcase is seen by galore arsenic nan country's astir important secular holiday, commemorating nan Soviet Red Army's seizure of German superior Berlin announced connected May 9, 1945.

Mr Putin has often attempted to comparison nan country's Second World War efforts, successful which 20million of its group were killed, pinch his Ukraine mission. 

Servicemen and women person been seen carrying retired rehearsals up of nan heavily-choreographed displays owed to return spot this Thursday.

Military instrumentality going connected show included Yars intercontinental ballistic rocket launchers, S-300 rocket systems and S-400 aerial defence strategy units and Second World War tanks.

Also seen were a Russian BTR-82-A armoured unit bearer and Tigr-M all-terrain infantry mobility vehicles, while jets flew overhead and soldiers marched pinch flags.

Last year's Victory Day parade featured conscionable a azygous tank, a Second World War-era T-34. 

Mr Putin utilized his reside that time , watched by scores of uniformed soldiers, subject officials and leaders of erstwhile Soviet nations, to declare Russia wanted peace.

He besides accused Western nations of waging a 'real war' against his invading troops, conscionable hours aft different barrage of cruise missiles deed respective sites crossed Ukraine. 

The Russian president's determination to conquer Ukraine will override home issues successful his caller word successful office, according to Brian Taylor, a Syracuse University professor and writer of The Code of Putinism. 

He told nan Associated Press: 'The warfare successful Ukraine is cardinal to his existent governmental task and I don't spot thing to propose that that will change, and that affects everything else.

'It affects who's successful what positions, it affects what resources are disposable and it affects nan economy, affects nan level of repression internally.'

He described Mr Putin arsenic reasoning of himself 'in nan expansive humanities position of Russian lands, bringing Ukraine backmost to wherever it belongs, those sorts of ideas'.

Prof Taylor added: 'I deliberation those trump immoderate benignant of much socioeconomic-type programs.'

In his authorities of nan federation reside successful February, Putin vowed to fulfill Moscow's goals successful Ukraine, and do immoderate it takes to 'defend our sovereignty and information of our citizens'.

He claimed nan Russian subject had 'gained a immense combat experience' and was 'firmly holding nan inaugural and waging offensives successful a number of sectors'.

The pursuing period he clinched a 5th statesmanlike word pinch nan charismatic consequence showing he had 88.84 per cent of nan vote, amid wide reports of ballot-stuffing and coercion.

Britain's Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said nan polls were 'not what free and adjacent elections look like' while Ukraine's President Zelensky accused Mr Putin of 'simulating' an election.

The astir salient guidance leader, Alexei Navalny, had died successful situation a period earlier nan election - having antecedently been barred from standing, arsenic successful 2018.

But location could beryllium pitfalls up for Mr Putin, according to experts.

Maksim Samorukov, of nan Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, highlighted nan 71-year-old president's age, saying: 'Driven by Putin's whims and delusions, Moscow is apt to perpetrate self-defeating blunders.'

Mr Samorukov wrote successful Foreign Affairs magazine: 'At 71, his consciousness of his ain mortality surely impinges connected his decision-making.

'A increasing consciousness of his constricted clip undoubtedly contributed to his fateful determination to invade Ukraine.

'Now much than ever, nan Kremlin makes decisions successful a personalised and arbitrary measurement that lacks moreover basal controls.'

He described nan authorities arsenic being 'at imperishable consequence of crumbling overnight, arsenic its Soviet predecessor did 3 decades ago' - pinch Russia's governmental elite becoming 'more obsequious' to what nan expert called Mr Putin's 'paranoid worldview'.

Doubts complete Mr Putin's wellness were fuelled connected Victory Day 2 years agone erstwhile he appeared to walk pinch a limp and sat pinch a broad complete his lap.