UPDATE - Former Soviet states mark 78th anniversary of Victory Day

UPDATES WITH STATEMENT FROM UKRAINE ON ATTENDANCE OF CENTRAL ASIAN AND CAUCASUS LEADERS AT VICTORY DAY PARADE, REVISES DECK, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Former Soviet states on Tuesday marked the 78th anniversary of Victory Day, commemorating the 1945 Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during World War II, also known as the Great Patriotic War by some of these states.

As part of traditional events surrounding Victory Day, wreaths were laid at military memorials and a minute of silence was observed at the local level in many former Soviet countries.

A parade was also held in the Red Square in the Russian capital Moscow, which was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and other heads of state of former Soviet republics.

Those that attended the festivities include the presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Belarus. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also took part in the events.

In a Twitter post, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev congratulated “veterans of Azerbaijan on the victory over fascism in World War II.”

Meanwhile, the traditional Immortal Regiment events, which have been held since 2012 in memory of workers and military personnel, were canceled due to security concerns.

Parades and marches were also canceled in the Saratov, Belgorod, Kursk, Voronezh, Oryol, and Pskov regions due to security concerns, according to local authorities.

On the same day, Ukraine is celebrating Europe Day. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared the day through a presidential decree on Monday.

Zelenskyy said he signed a relevant decree to commemorate “the unity of all Europeans” who won against Nazism.

He also noted that he will be submitting a bill to Ukraine’s parliament, proposing that May 8 be the “Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in the Second World War of 1939-1945.”

In a statement, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry criticized the presence of the leaders of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Armenia during the Victory Day parade, saying that Kyiv considers this as "an immoral and unfriendly step towards Ukraine, showing contempt for the Ukrainian people who are fighting for their survival and freedom."

"The peoples of Central Asia and the Caucasus made an invaluable contribution to the victory over Nazism 78 years ago. They do not deserve the fate of being used now by the Kremlin to participate in a fake action that has nothing to do with the feat of the victors over Nazism," the statement said.