Russia holds Victory Day parade marking the eightieth anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany

Russia on Friday (Could 9, 2025) celebrated the eightieth anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World Conflict II, as President Vladimir Putin presided over an enormous parade of tanks, missiles and troops by Crimson Sq. and welcomed over two dozen world leaders — essentially the most since Moscow despatched troops into Ukraine.

Victory Day, which Russia marks on Could 9, is the nation’s most essential secular vacation. The parade and different festivities underline Moscow’s efforts to venture its international energy and cement the alliances it has cast whereas in search of a counterbalance to the West amid the battle in Ukraine that’s grinding by a fourth yr.

Friday’s parade was the biggest since Russia despatched troops into Ukraine in 2022 and drew essentially the most international leaders to Moscow in a decade, together with high-profile visitors like Chinese language President Xi Jinping, who sat subsequent to Mr. Putin, and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Their attendance underscored how Putin has tried to emphasise the failure of the West to show Russia into a worldwide pariah.

“It’s once more displaying that Russia shouldn’t be remoted, that Russia is seen as a really respectable victorious nation that’s amongst victors in World Conflict II,” mentioned Alexander Gabuev, director of Carnegie Russia Eurasia Centre.

“Russia is standing tall among the many so-called international majority,” Mr. Gabuev mentioned, including that the attendance of Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico confirmed that “Russia has allies even inside the Western camp” and marked a serious public relations victory for Mr. Putin.

World Conflict II is a uncommon occasion within the nation’s divisive historical past below Communist rule that’s revered by all political teams, and the Kremlin has used that sentiment to encourage nationwide delight and underline Russia’s place as a worldwide energy.

The Soviet Union misplaced 27 million individuals in what it calls the Nice Patriotic Conflict in 1941-45, an infinite sacrifice that left a deep scar within the nationwide psyche.

Addressing the group in Crimson Sq., Mr. Putin praised Russian troops combating in Ukraine, saying that “we’re pleased with their braveness and dedication, their religious pressure that at all times has introduced us victory.”

Mr. Putin, who has dominated Russia for 25 years, has turned Victory Day right into a key pillar of his tenure and has tried to make use of it to justify his motion in Ukraine.

For Mr. Putin, Victory Day celebrations have turn out to be “a civic faith that enhances patriotism, nationalism, nostalgia, and justifies each his repressive regime at house and Russia’s more and more expansionist international coverage overseas, significantly together with in direction of its neighbors,” Mr. Gabuev mentioned.

The parade featured over 11,500 troops and greater than 180 navy automobiles, together with tanks, armoured infantry automobiles and artillery used on the battlefield in Ukraine. As a reminder of Russia’s nuclear would possibly, big Yars nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles launchers rolled throughout Crimson Sq.. Additionally among the many weaponry on show had been drones carried on navy vehicles, a tribute to their pivotal function within the battle.

Fighter jets of Russian air pressure’s aerobatic groups flew by in shut formation, adopted by jets that trailed smoke within the colors of the nationwide flag.

Afterward, Mr. Putin shook palms with Russian generals who led the troops onto Crimson Sq. and spoke to medal-bedecked senior North Korean officers who watched the parade, hugging one in every of them.

Final month, Mr. Putin thanked North Korea for combating alongside Russian troops in opposition to Ukrainian forces and hailed their sacrifices as Pyongyang confirmed its deployment for the primary time.

The Russian and North Korean statements emphasised their increasing navy partnership, particularly after Russia mentioned its troops have totally reclaimed the Kursk area that Ukrainian forces seized in a shock incursion final yr. Ukraine denied the declare.

Victory Day festivities this yr had been overshadowed by Ukrainian drone assaults concentrating on Moscow and extreme disruptions on the capital’s airports. Aeroflot on Wednesday cancelled greater than 100 flights to and from Moscow, and delayed over 140 others because the navy repelled Ukrainian drone assaults on the capital.

Russian authorities tightened safety forward of the parade and cellphone web outages had been reported amid digital countermeasures geared toward foiling extra potential drone assaults.

Navy parades and different festivities had been additionally held in scores of different cities throughout Russia amid tight safety. As a historic tribute, Putin’s hometown of St. Petersburg symbolically regained its Soviet-era title of Leningrad for a day Friday and Volgograd briefly reverted to Stalingrad, because it was recognized throughout World Conflict II.

Mr. Putin had declared a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire beginning Could 7 to coincide with the Victory Day celebrations, however warned that Russian troops would retaliate to any assaults. Moscow has been reluctant to just accept a U.S.-proposed 30-day truce that Ukraine has accepted, linking it to a halt in Western arms provides to Ukraine and Kyiv’s mobilisation effort, circumstances Ukraine and its Western allies have rejected.

Ukrainian authorities reported scores of Russian strikes Friday that killed a minimum of two individuals within the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia areas and broken buildings. A Russian drone additionally struck a civilian car in Zaporizhzhia, critically injuring a person and in addition wounding his spouse.

Because the parade and different festivities unfolded in Moscow, dozens of European officers met in Lviv, in western Ukraine, to endorse the creation of a particular tribunal to prosecute Russian officers accused of battle crimes.

“Russia must really feel our widespread and, most significantly, rising power,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned, addressing the Lviv assembly. He emphasised the necessity for Russia to be held accountable, including that “that is the ethical responsibility of Europe and of everybody on the earth who values human life.”

“I’m certain that this tribunal will enable for the battle in opposition to impunity in opposition to all battle crimes which were dedicated throughout this battle of aggression of Russia in opposition to Ukraine,” mentioned French International Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.

Russian authorities have fiercely denied allegations of battle crimes.

Ms. Barrot additionally mentioned European allies have agreed on one other package deal of sanctions in opposition to Russia.

Standing alongside high Ukrainian authorities officers in Lviv, EU international coverage chief Kaja Kallas mentioned the tribunal’s launch will imply that “no one could be left unpunished for the crimes dedicated.”

Most of Europe marks the defeat of Nazi Germany in World Conflict II on Could 8.