Ukraine war: 80 years on, we are facing German tanks again - Putin

Vladimir Putin has compared Russia's penetration of Ukraine to the combat against Nazi Germany, successful a code to people the 80th day of the decision of the Battle of Stalingrad.

Citing Germany's determination to nonstop Leopard tanks to Ukraine, helium claimed past was repeating itself.

"It's unbelievable but true," helium said. "We are again being threatened by German Leopard tanks."

Germany is 1 of galore countries helping Ukraine support its territory.

Russia launched its bloody, full-scale penetration astir 1 twelvemonth ago, prompting Western countries to nonstop weapons and assistance to the authorities successful Kyiv.

Speaking successful Volgograd - the modern sanction for Stalingrad - Mr Putin hinted that helium could question to determination beyond accepted weapons.

"Those who anticipation to decision Russia connected the battlefield bash not understand, it seems, that a modern warfare with Russia volition beryllium precise antithetic for them," the 70-year-old person said.

"We are not sending our tanks to their borders, but we person the means to respond. It won't beryllium constricted to the usage of armoured hardware. Everyone indispensable recognize this."

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to elaborate connected Mr Putin's comments, but did archer reporters that "as caller weapons are delivered by the corporate West, Russia volition marque greater usage of its imaginable to respond".

Mr Putin was successful Volgograd to people the day of the extremity of the Battle of Stalingrad, the World War Two struggle which saw the Soviet service seizure astir 91,000 German troops and crook the tide of the war.

Over a cardinal radical perished successful the conflict - the bloodiest of World War Two.

Throughout the warfare successful Ukraine, Mr Putin has falsely sought to contiguous Russia's penetration arsenic a conflict against nationalists and Nazis - who helium claims are starring the Kyiv government.

And helium returned to the taxable passim his speech.

"Now, unfortunately, we spot that the ideology of Nazism, already successful its modern guise, successful its modern manifestation, again creates nonstop threats to the information of our country," helium said.

"We are erstwhile again forced to repulse the aggression of the corporate West."

But helium vowed that portion it was "unbelievable but true" that Russia was again being threatened by German tanks, Moscow had an reply for immoderate state that threatened it.

Volgograd was temporarily renamed Stalingrad for the time to people the occasion, and earlier this week a caller bust of the erstwhile Soviet person Joseph Stalin was unveiled.

Stalin - who led the Soviet Union betwixt 1924 and his decease successful 1953 - was accused of orchestrating a famine successful Ukraine betwixt 1932-33.

The lawsuit - called the Holodomor by Ukrainians - killed an estimated 5 cardinal radical and was recognised arsenic a genocide earlier this week successful Bulgaria.

Mr Putin besides laid flowers astatine the sedate of the Soviet marshal who oversaw the defence of the city, and visited the main memorial analyzable wherever helium led a infinitesimal of soundlessness for those that died successful the battle.

Meanwhile, thousands of Volgograd residents lined the city's streets to ticker a subject parade.

As planes roared overhead, modern and World War Two-era tanks rolled on the centre of the city. Some of the modern vehicles were marked with the missive Z, which has go the awesome of Russia's invasion.

Elsewhere, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia was preparing to instrumentality "revenge" against the West for aiding Ukraine.

"Now Russia is concentrating its forces. We each cognize that. It is preparing to effort to instrumentality revenge, not lone against Ukraine, but against a escaped Europe and the escaped world," Mr Zelensky said successful Kyiv.

Speaking alongside EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Mr Zelensky said Russia was "increasing the gait of adaptation to sanctions" and urged the EU person to enforce further restrictions connected the Russian economy.