Russia staged its 80th Victory Day parade on Friday with a display of military strength in Moscow’s Red Square, as President Vladimir Putin welcomed a mix of world leaders in a ceremony aimed at projecting wartime resilience and global support more than three years into the invasion of Ukraine.
The event commemorated the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, with more than 11,000 Russian troops marching alongside 1,500 veterans of the Ukraine war and units from allied nations. While North Korean troops were absent from the march, Putin later met with North Korean officers and thanked them for assisting Russian forces in the Kursk region.
The parade featured nearly 200 military vehicles, including the historic T-34 tank, modern drones, and strategic bombers. Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, newly appointed, inspected the troops in a break from his predecessor’s tradition of wearing a military uniform.
Putin used his address to accuse critics of trying to rewrite history and undermining Russia’s role in World War II, stating: “Truth and justice are on our side… Russia will remain an invincible defender against those who support Nazism, Russophobia, and anti-Semitism.”
Notably absent was Putin’s usual fierce rhetoric toward the West. In contrast to last year’s speech, which lashed out at “Western elites,” this year’s tone was more restrained, though still assertive.
Among the nearly 30 foreign leaders in attendance were Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro. Serbia’s Aleksandar Vučić and Slovakia’s Robert Fico were the only European leaders present. Azerbaijan’s and Laos’ leaders canceled their visits at the last minute.
Though U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy was invited, it remained unclear whether she attended. No senior Western officials were seen at the event.
The parade came after a Kremlin-declared ceasefire from May 8 to May 11, which Kyiv rejected in favor of a longer truce proposed earlier by the United States. Both sides have accused each other of breaking the ceasefire.
Moscow remained on high alert ahead of the parade. Drone attacks earlier in the week grounded flights and disrupted internet service, and authorities ordered nearby businesses closed — a rare move reflecting ongoing security fears. Several bombings have hit Moscow since the war began, including the recent assassination of a top army general.
Victory Day events also took place in cities across Russia, including St. Petersburg, Kazan, and Novosibirsk, many of which also experienced internet disruptions. In the Belgorod region near Ukraine, authorities reported drone attacks as local commemorations began but said events would go ahead as planned.
The pageantry on Red Square, framed by heightened security and a costly ongoing war, showed Russia’s attempt to maintain a sense of national unity while reinforcing Putin’s narrative of historical continuity and resilience.
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