No end in sight for Ukraine war as Putin hails Victory Day

ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin used a major patriotic holiday to again justify his war in Ukraine but did not declare even a limited victory or signal where the conflict was headed.

That came as his forces pressed their offensive with few signs of significant progress.

The Russian leader oversaw a Victory Day parade Monday on Moscow’s Red Square, with troops marching in formation, military hardware on display, and a brass band blaring to mark the Soviet Union’s 1945 defeat of Nazi Germany.

But his much-anticipated speech offered no new insights into how he intended to salvage the grinding war — and instead stuck to allegations that Ukraine posed a threat to Russia, even though Moscow’s nuclear-armed forces are far superior in numbers and firepower.