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.
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Vladimir Putin And Victory Day: A Scaled-Down Parade, A Diminished President?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.
Moscow had threatened a "massive" strike on central Kyiv if Ukraine disrupted the parade before the two sides agreed to a three-day cease-fire after US President Donald Trump helped broker a truce.
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. Moscow also claimed Kyiv broke the agreement, though there were no reports of any incidents affecting the parade itself.
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.
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Trump Says Russia, Ukraine Will Pause Fighting On May 9
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.”
However, chances of an extended truce or a full peace agreement still appear far off.
"It is understandable that the American side is in a hurry," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state television reporter Pavel Zarubin on May 9.
"But the issue of a Ukrainian settlement is far too complex, and reaching a peace agreement is a very long way with complex details."
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Drone Strikes, Deep Strikes: How Ukraine's Long-Range Air Attacks Are Hurting RussiaDespite 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.