Putin defends Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in rare public appearance at rally

Vladimir Putin defended Russia's invasion of Ukraine as he made a rare public appearance at a huge rally in Moscow on Friday.

The event, inside the Luzhniki Stadium, marked the eighth anniversary of the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula.

During a speech, the Russian president told the crowd that his nation had “not had unity like this for a long time”.

He claimed that the “main reason” for the military operation in Ukraine is to “end the suffering and genocide of people” in the Donbass region.

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