MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated World War II veterans Thursday on their victory over Nazi Germany and said the world needs to stay alert to the new threat of terrorism.
As thousands of soldiers, veterans and others gathered for a traditional Victory Day parade on Red Square, a bomb blast ripped through a holiday celebration in the southern Russian town of Kaspiisk, near breakaway Chechnya. At least 32 people were killed and 150 injured. Putin ordered an immediate investigation.
"The forces of evil keep re-emerging in different parts of the world," Putin said during the parade.
"The anti-Hitler coalition set a good example. ... The Allies defeated the enemy then. We are again standing together to face the common challenge, whose name is terrorism," he said.
Security was tight Moscow for Thursday's parade. More than 2,300 soldiers and police stood guard in and around Red Square, the Interfax-Military news agency reported.
In keeping with tradition, thousands of elite Russian troops, wearing crisp uniforms and carrying polished rifles, marched into the square and stood at attention in front of Putin and other top officials. The facade of GUM, the giant department store that abuts the square, was festooned with patriotic banners, including one that read "USSR."
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov then reviewed the parade in a silver, open-topped Zil limousine, pausing in front of each division to offer congratulations on the 57th anniversary of the Allied victory over the Nazis.
The troops responded with a deep and resounding "Hurrah" that echoed through the sun-coated square. Later, each division, along with a brass military band, marched in lockstep past Putin and other dignitaries.
The parade no longer includes displays of Russian rockets, tanks and other military hardware, as it did during the Soviet era, but it is still an important holiday infused with patriotism and nostalgia. Putin called it "the most dear holiday of our people."
The Soviet Union lost an estimated 27 million citizens in World War II, more than any other country, and many veterans mark the occasion by wearing their war medals, which sometimes number in the dozens.
Retired Lt. Vasily Danilov, who served in the Soviet Army in southwestern Russia and Ukraine, was one of hundreds of aging veterans who watched the Red Square parade.
"It's our main holiday," he said, "It's the most meaningful and happy occasion we've ever had in the history of our country."
Danilov complained that the media and the country's youth aren't paying enough attention to Victory Day anymore, but he praised Putin for trying to restore national pride and fight rebels in Chechnya.
"It's a fight against terrorism and banditry. ... Our forces are risking their lives to help the Chechens get rid of these terrorists."
Artillery salutes and fireworks were planned in Moscow and at least 12 other cities of the former Soviet Union.
Ukraine and Belarus, which bore the brunt of the Nazi occupation along with western Russia, held their own ceremonies marking Victory Day.
In the ex-Soviet republic of Georgia, President Eduard Shevardnadze laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Azerbaijan President Geidar Aliev gave a speech noting his republic's contribution to the war effort.