Russian athletes celebrated Putin by attending his Victory Day parade, sporting the pro-war 'Z' symbol, and posting supportive messages on social media

• Russian athletes celebrated Vladimir Putin by attending his Victory Day parade.
• Olympic gold medalists Nikita Nagornyy and Angelina Melnikova were among those present.

Russian athletes celebrated Vladimir Putin on Monday by attending the country's Victory Day Parade and posting supportive messages on social media.

Olympic gold medalist Nikita Nagornyy marched in the parade, which is held annually on Moscow's Red Square to commemorate Russia's victory over the Nazis in World War II, while Angelina Melnikova, another Olympic champion, was also seen at the event.

Melnikova, the gymnast who won team gold at the Tokyo Olympics, was spotted posing with the pro-war "Z" symbol.

At the parade, President Putin continued to try to justify Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine by claiming during his speech that Russian troops are "defending the motherland" from "neo-Nazis."

"The Donbas militia and the Russian army are fighting on their own land, which the heroes of the Great Patriotic War defended to the death," he said.

"Russia struck back preemptively against the aggression. This was a forced, timely and the only correct decision for a sovereign, strong and self-sufficient country."

The 69-year-old offered no evidence for his claims.

According to Inside the Games, Olympic gold medalist wrestlers Roman Vlasov and Musa Evloev were also in attendance at the parade.

Swimmer Evgeny Rylov, who won two golds at the Tokyo Olympics, did not attend the parade but shared his support for Putin on social media.

"I am NOT ASHAMED that I am Russian," he wrote on Instagram. "I proudly take out my burgundy passport when traveling, I am glad to be a citizen of a great country! And I support my president, who loves my country and does not allow clouds to thicken at our borders."

Rylov was banned from competition for nine months by the International Swimming Federation (FINA) in April after he attended a rally in Moscow in support of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

He was also dropped by his main sponsor Speedo.