Tens of thousands who attend a rally in Moscow are told ‘this is total war’ as Putin is ‘mobilising the whole of Russian society’

On Wednesday Russia held an enormous rally at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow to honour the Defender of the Fatherland Day and servicemen.

The stadium can hold more than 75,000 where thousands were seen waving the Russian flag and speeches were given by military soldiers.

Vladimir Putin attended the rally and talked about the motherland and family values and said that Russia is “proud of those who are fighting in Ukraine to defend the fatherland.”

Putin added, that the “whole country” supports them and chants of “Russia, Russia, Russia” could be heard as some 200,000 people in total had gathered in Moscow to hear the Russian leader speak.

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Putin said, “I have just heard from the highest military commander for our country… there is a fight going… for our people.”

He said his troops “are supported by the whole country” and that the crowds are “defenders of the motherland”.

“All of you here who have come here to support our soldiers, thank you!”

The Russian president thanked “children who are writing their letters to support the military.”

He said Russian troops were fighting for “our interests, our people, language, culture and territory”.

“Everyone, all of our people are defenders of the motherland and we thank them from then bottom of our hearts”, he added.

Security analyst Professor Michael Clarke told Sky News, that Putin looked “more relaxed” speaking in front of the crowd at the rally and that “he’s clearly enjoying this.”

Professor Clarke added, “And he’s able to be more animated.

“But he is revealing, ‘this is total war’. He is mobilising the whole of Russian society to fight what was intended to be a three-day campaign to take over Kyiv this time last year.

“For Russian’s this is totality. They have to succeed.

“So he is thanking everybody, the transport workers, the electrical workers, the utilities workers, the students, everybody.

“He is bringing the whole of society into the war.”