Without OPZZh, marches and rallies: how the Day of Victory over Nazism was celebrated in Ukraine

This year, May 9 in Ukraine is a little different than in previous years. As the pro-Russian Opposition Platform For Life was banned, there were no large-scale rallies in Ukrainian cities every year.

In the morning, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the Ukrainians. He stressed that Ukraine will soon celebrate two victories, and Russia will not have one.

"Someone is fighting for the king, the Fuhrer, the party and the leader, and we are fighting for the Motherland. We have never fought against anyone. We always fight for ourselves. For our freedom. For our independence. That the victory of our ancestors was not in vain. They fought for freedom for us and won. We are fighting for our freedom, for freedom for our children, and therefore we will win," the President said.

Laying flowers has been canceled in all regional centers, as there is a high threat of missile strikes in Ukraine. At the same time, in some places, people went to the monuments on their own to lay flowers to the heroes who defeated Nazism.

In the temporarily occupied cities, the Russian occupiers held a "celebration" on May 9 to film propaganda stories for Russian television.

Thus, the laying of flowers was organized in Kherson Oblast, occupied Melitopol in Zaporizhzhia oblast and in the bombed-out Mariupol.

• On March 20, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine had suspended a number of parties with ties to Russia during martial law. These parties include the Opposition Platform For Life and the Shariy Party.
• On March 26, the activities of the OPZZh faction were also suspended in the Odesa Oblast Council.
• On April 1 in Mariupol, deputies of OPZZh and Shariy Party in the City Council stopped activity.
• On April 14, the Verkhovna Rada suspended the activities of the OPZZh faction.