UK defence secretary mocks Russia's 'manicured' generals as he takes aim at Victory Day parade during Ukraine war

• UK defence secretary has mocked "manicured" Russian generals taking part in Moscow's Victory Day parade.
• Ben Wallace blasted the hypocrisy of marking the end of WW2 while fighting in a "war of choice" in Ukraine.

The UK's defence secretary has taken aim at Russia's generals marking Victory Day in "their manicured parade uniforms," accusing them of hypocrisy in light of Vladimir Putin's "unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine."

In a major speech Monday, Ben Wallace accused the Kremlin of insulting the memory of fallen Soviet forces in the annual parade that marks the defeat of Adolf Hitler's army during the Second World War.

Speaking at the National Army Museum, Wallace said the West should "call out the absurdity" of the celebrations, accusing Russian soldiers of "being utterly complicit in Putin's hijacking of their forebears' proud history of defending against a ruthless invasion."

"Instead now, they are the ones inflicting needless suffering in the service of lowly gangsterism. They are the ones who truly insult the memory of the Immortal Regiment," he added.

Putin launched a "war of choice" against Ukraine, Wallace said, arguing that in doing so "he and his generals are now ripping up both Russia's past and its future."

All professional soldiers "should be appalled at the behaviour of the Russian Army," the Cabinet minister added.

"Not only are they engaged in an illegal invasion and war crimes but their top brass have failed their own rank and file to the extent they should be court martialled."

The speech was given on the same day Moscow throws a lavish military parade in a show of strength against Ukraine and NATO, including a display of the so-called "doomsday plane," a flying command center Putin would likely use in the event of a nuclear attack on Russia.

The annual parade through Red Square, which marks the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany on May 9, 1945, is a showpiece of Russian military power.

Speaking in the Red Square Monday, Putin repeated his false claim that the democratically elected government in Kyiv was run by neo-Nazis and that NATO posed a threat to Russian sovereignty.

During an 11-minute address, the Russian president told troops: "Today you are fighting for our people in Donbas, for the security of Russia, our motherland."

Putin claimed NATO and Ukrainian troops were "preparing a punishing operation in Donbas to intrude on our historic lands," the BBC reported. "In Kyiv they were saying they might get nuclear weapons and NATO started exploring the lands close to us, and that became an obvious threat to us and our borders."

Russian news agencies said 11,000 troops and 131 armoured vehicles took part in the event, including Russia's Armata tanks, which have not been considered combat-ready for the war in Ukraine.