Moscow is lifting its coronavirus lockdown despite thousands of new cases, as it prepares for a massive military parade and a referendum to extend Putin's rule

• Moscow's coronavirus lockdown, in place since March 30, was lifted on Tuesday.
• Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced the easing of restrictions on Monday, when the city reported just over 2,000 new infections.
• It will allow a massive military parade to go ahead in Red Square, as well as a referendum that could allow Putin to retain power until 2036.
• The easing was politically motivated to "create an illusion that everything is safe," epidemiologist Vasily Vlassov told the Moscow Times.

Moscow eased its coronavirus lockdown on Tuesday, despite thousands of new cases recorded just one day earlier.

"For several weeks now, slowly but surely the pandemic has been on the decline," Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, a well-known Putin loyalist, announced on television Monday, according to NPR. "The number of infections is decreasing, and more people are being discharged from hospitals than are being admitted. Step by step, this allows us to return to normal life."

"I want to congratulate you on another shared victory," he said.

The same day he announced victory, Moscow, the epicenter of the pandemic in Russia, recorded just over 2,000 new infections, the Moscow Times reported.

Sobyanin's announcement was somewhat unexpected since, in mid-May, he said restrictions would continue for the foreseeable future. According to Otkrytye Media, the Kremlin convinced Sobyanin to ease Moscow's lockdown.

Vasily Vlassov, an epidemiologist from Moscow's Higher School of Economics, told the Moscow Times he felt the announcement was politically motivated to "create an illusion that everything is safe."

Everything needs to appear safe, Vlassov said, because Putin wants a massive military parade in Red Square to go ahead on June 24. Initially delayed, the event will mark the 75th anniversary of Russia defeating Nazi armies during World War II.

The parade is an important tool for Putin to project power and patriotism. It will include thousands of soldiers and display Russia's most impressive weaponry, according to Bloomberg.

The easing of restrictions also means a voter referendum can go forward on July 1 that would allow Putin to run again for two more six-year presidential terms, extending his rule through 2036.

Proposed in January, the "All-Russian vote" was initially going to be held April 22 but was delayed by the pandemic.

It had been viewed as a formality, but the pandemic's effect on the economy combined with a fall in oil demand has led Putin's popularity to plummet.

In 2017, Levada Center, Russia's only independent pollster, found that 59% of people trusted Putin the most out of any politician. In January 2020, that had fallen to 35%, according to The Wall Street Journal.

By May, when the country reported more than 300,000 infections, it was down to 25%.

The new referendum date appeared to cause some friction between Putin and Sobyanin, according to the Moscow Times, although the conflict might have been orchestrated.

"You'd think we have other more pressing matters — the pandemic, economic woes. What's the rush with the vote?" Sobyanin said in a televised address. "But unrealized decisions are also a serious problem."

Russia's lockdown closed all but essential businesses and restricted individual movements. It caused Russia's economic activity to decline by a third, according to Bloomberg.

As of June 9, Russia had the third-highest rate of infections in the world, with 476,041 confirmed cases and 5,963 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Nearly 200,000 of those infections were in Moscow.

Restaurants, gyms, hairdressers, veterinarians, and bars in the city are slated to reopen with the next two weeks.