Reactions to Putin's Victory Day speech

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a military parade on Victory Day, which marks the 77th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia May 9, 2022. Sputnik/Sergey Guneev/Sputnik via REUTERS

(Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin evoked the memory of Soviet heroism in World War Two on Monday to urge his army towards victory in Ukraine, saying the West had been "preparing for the invasion of our land, including Crimea".

Putin was speaking at the annual Victory Day parade on Moscow's Red Square marking the anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in 1945.