Russia staged its most pared-down Victory Day parade in years on May 9 amid heightened fears that Ukraine might disrupt proceedings.
Under President Vladimir Putin, the event marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II has become one of the most important holidays of the year, a grandiose celebration of Soviet and Russian military history, as well as Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
This year, however, it unfolded without tanks or other heavy combat hardware rolling across Red Square amid security concerns after a Ukrainian drone strike hit a Moscow suburb earlier this week.
Giant screens and state television broadcasts instead showcased weapons including an intercontinental ballistic missile, a nuclear submarine, a fighter jet, and various drones and artillery.
Columns of soldiers and sailors, including troops who served in Ukraine, marched past Putin, who watched alongside Russian veterans near Lenin’s Mausoleum. North Korean troops who fought Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region also took part in the parade, while fighter jets flew over the Kremlin.
In an eight-minute speech, Putin linked Russia’s current military campaign in Ukraine to the Soviet struggle in World War Two.
"The great feat of the generation of victors inspires the soldiers carrying out the goals of the special military operation today," Putin said in his address, referring to Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"They are confronting an aggressive force armed and supported by the entire NATO bloc. And despite this, our heroes move forward...I firmly believe that our cause is just."
Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, condemned internationally as an unprovoked war of aggression, has dragged on into a years-long war with no clear end in sight.
The parade coincided with a three-day cease-fire announced by US President Donald Trump and accepted by both Moscow and Kyiv, with both sides also confirming they had agreed to the truce along with a major prisoner swap.
Trump said he would “like to see a big extension” of the truce, describing the conflict as “the worst thing since World War Two in terms of life.”
Despite the cease-fire, however, security in Moscow remained exceptionally tight on May 9, with armed patrols and roadblocks across the capital, and snipers on top of many buildings near the parade site.
Putin was also protected by a large security detail during his appearance and mobile Internet was shut down.
As the temporary truce took effect, both Russian and Ukraine reported fewer attacks overnight on May 9, although the Ukrainian military said that Russian forces had launched a missile and dozens of drones at Ukraine since the previous day.
