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- Russian state television cut out Putin’s speech at a mass pro-war rally in Moscow.
- Putin took the opportunity to justify Russia’s war in Ukraine by saying that he would “carry out” his plans.
- According to Reuters, a Kremlin spokesman said the broadcast was stopped due to technical problems.
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Russian state television cut out President Vladimir Putin’s speech as he spoke of the invasion of Ukraine at a massive pro-war rally in Moscow on Friday.
As he addresses the crowd, the video shows a television broadcast that cuts from Putin’s speech to a musical performance – and the Russian leader is nowhere to be seen.
A Kremlin spokesman told Reuters that the broadcast was interrupted due to technical problems and that Putin later reappeared on the air.
— Max Seddon (@maxseddon) March 18, 2022
Putin spoke at the Luzhniki Stadium on the occasion of the eighth anniversary of Russia’s annexation of Crimea and used the opportunity to justify Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
Video footage of the event shows Russians waving flags and applauding.
Financial Times journalist Max Seddon reported on Twitter that there were reports of government employees arriving at the event by bus.
Meduza Editor Kevin Rothrock also shared a video on Twitter that he says shows people leaving the stadium prior to the event.
— Kevin Rothrock (@KevinRothrock) March 18, 2022
Putin told the crowd that Russia would succeed in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reported.
“We know what we need to do, how to do it and at what cost. And we will definitely fulfill all our plans,” the message says.
Putin again used the term “special military operation,” which he used in his February 24 televised statement about the war against Ukraine, and said it helped unite Russia.
“Shoulder to shoulder, they help each other, support each other, and when necessary, cover each other from bullets with their bodies, like brothers. We haven’t had such unity for a long time,” he said.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine, now past a three-week milestone, appears to have stalled on all fronts as Putin’s forces struggle to break Ukraine’s resistance.