Russian President Vladimir Putin has been humiliated in front of Russia after hackers hijacked his speech to spread some pretty hard truths about the Ukrainian invasion.
The Russian leader made a rare public appearance at Moscow's Red Square to mark Victory Day, which commemorates Russia's 1945 victory over the Nazis.
But what should have been a day of celebration and a show of military might for the Kremlin boss soon turned sour.
Hackers took advantage of the nationwide attention to tell the Russian public what the military has really been up to during their 'special operation' in neighbouring Ukraine.
The widespread hack impacted various television channels - with the name of every TV show changed to: "The blood of thousands of Ukrainians and hundreds of their children is on your hands. TV and the authorities lie. No to war."
Advert
Despite the anti-Ukraine war messaging being blasted out to millions during the celebrations, Putin used his captive audience to tell Russians that invading Ukraine was a necessary move to avert 'a threat that was absolutely unacceptable to us [that] has been methodically created next to our borders'.
"The danger was rising by the day," Putin told crowds at Red Square, as reported by the ABC.
Putin also stressed that the invasion of Ukraine was a 'forced, timely and the only correct decision by a sovereign, powerful and independent country'.
The Russian leader then directly addressed soldiers fighting in Donbas, a now-war torn patch in eastern Ukraine that Russia is trying to 'liberate' from Kyiv.
"You are fighting for the Motherland, for its future, so that no one forgets the lessons of World War II," he said, according to the New Daily.
"So that there is no place in the world for executioners, castigators and Nazis."
What was missing from Putin's speech was any indication of an action plan or steps forward in the rogue nation's bombardments against Ukraine.
Putin's speech bears a stark contrast to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's speech, which took aim at Russian claims they were trying to block the May 9 celebrations.
"Our enemy dreamed that we would refuse to celebrate 9 May and the victory over Nazism," said Zelenskyy, according to The Guardian.
"So that the word ‘denazification’ will have a chance [to succeed] … On the day of victory over Nazism we are fighting for a new victory. The road to it is difficult but we have no doubt that we will win.
"And very soon there will be two Victory Days in Ukraine. And some will not even have one left."
Topics: Vladimir Putin, Ukraine, Russia, News
Rachel Lang