The army parade via Moscow’s Crimson Sq. on Would possibly 9, “Victory Day”, is the head of Russia’s annual celebrations marking the tip of the second one international conflict. Televised are living and watched by way of tens of millions, together with invited overseas dignitaries, the Victory Day parade is all about showcasing Russia’s standing and satisfaction.
The primary Victory Day parade was once held in 1945 amid the triumph and aid on the defeat of Nazi Germany. A 2nd was once held in 1965 – however handiest two extra have been staged by way of the Soviet Union, in 1985 and 1990.
Underneath the management of Vladimir Putin, then again, the parade has transform an enormous demonstration of Russia’s army prowess and may. And, because the get started of Russia’s mass invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the parade has additionally supplied a snapshot of the development of the warfare, together with the rustic’s wartime temper and the level of its world give a boost to.
However this 12 months’s Victory Day parade confirmed the sector a Russia this is apprehensive, reduced and remoted. There have been no army cars or apparatus on show. As an alternative, the goods of Russia’s army business have been handiest visual to the crowds in video photographs displayed on giant displays. Involved that Ukraine may assault Moscow all over the parade, Russian officers made the verdict to offer protection to precious guns wanted for the conflict by way of taking flight them from the development completely.
The Russians had just right causes for his or her anxieties. Ukraine has evolved the potential to strike goals deep inside of Russian territory. Only a few days sooner than the parade, two of Moscow’s airports have been briefly closed in keeping with loads of drones reportedly attacking in a couple of areas of Russia, together with close to the capital.
This isn’t the primary time that Russian officers have scaled down a Victory Day parade out of outrage about Ukrainian assaults. In 2023 the location was once equivalent, with drone moves in Russia main as much as the vacation amid fashionable expectation of an forthcoming primary Ukrainian counteroffensive. However even then, the choice of army cars in Crimson Sq. now not eradicated completely. And the next 12 months the parade featured launchers for intercontinental ballistic missiles to emphasize that Russia was once keen and ready to make use of any manner essential – together with nuclear guns – to impose its will on Ukraine. In 2025 the parade featured just about 200 army cars.
Now, within the 5th 12 months of the conflict, the Russian management is obviously interested by their skill to offer protection to their capital town from the Ukrainians, in spite of surrounding Moscow with elaborate air defences – together with some apparatus all of a sudden relocated from fight zones.
It was once now not handiest the absence of army apparatus that made this Victory Day parade underwhelming. Probably the most options of the development that is helping to raise it past a countrywide vacation is the presence of world outstanding visitors within the target market. This 12 months, just a handful of nationwide leaders have been in attendance, 3 of whom constitute former Soviet states and shut allies of Russia: Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
The distinction with closing 12 months’s parade was once stark. In 2025 – to have a good time the eightieth anniversary of the tip of the second one international conflict – Putin hosted leaders from just about 30 international locations, maximum particularly China’s president Xi Jinping, who was once given where of honour subsequent to Putin. Chinese language squaddies marched within the parade, offering an extra image of the cooperation between the 2 international locations and the give a boost to that Moscow may depend on from Beijing.
This 12 months Russia’s president was once surrounded now not by way of robust international leaders however by way of aged conflict veterans positioned round him within the viewing stand. On this corporate, Putin seemed like simply some other previous guy, dreaming of glory days lengthy at the back of him.
Getting older comrades: Vladimir Putin speaks with 2nd international conflict veteran Svet Turunov.
EPA/Pavel Bednyakov/pool
The pointy relief within the quantity – and standing – of overseas leaders that the Russians have been ready to draw to Moscow this 12 months displays adjustments within the world political local weather that aren’t in Russia’s favour. In 2025, the Slovakian top minister, Robert Fico, attended the parade – a sign of rifts throughout the Ecu Union over the conflict and give a boost to for Ukraine.
In 2026 Fico was once once more in Moscow – however didn’t attend the parade. Ultimate 12 months Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro sat within the viewing stands – this 12 months he sits in a US prison having been got rid of from energy in an American raid.
Warfare-weariness in Russia
Putin’s Victory Day speech this 12 months was once some other indication of a transformation in Russia’s fortunes, hanging a a long way much less assured tone than in earlier years. In 2023, the Russian president compensated for that 12 months’s scaled-back parade with defiant rhetoric, claiming Russia was once underneath risk of assault from the west and styling the warfare as “the people’s war”. In 2024, Putin answered to an offer from French president, Emmanuel Macron, that western troops could be deployed to Ukraine with thinly veiled threats that Russia may use nuclear guns to reassert its dominance.
This 12 months Putin was once way more subdued. Even if he denounced the west and claimed that victory would belong to Russia, those statements had a drained, ritualistic really feel. His emphasis on Russia’s skill to undergo anything else and reply to any problem hinted on the present state of the conflict.
Russia is shedding territory at the battlefield to the Ukrainian forces for the primary time since 2024 and is reported to be shedding troops sooner than it could possibly exchange them. In the meantime, Ukrainian drones steadily assault Russian oil refineries, threatening Moscow’s skill to promote its maximum winning export.
However this conflict is a long way from over. Russia nonetheless has a big army, a well-resourced defence business and is an increasing number of drawing in overseas squaddies to combat on its aspect – North Koreans marched along Russian troops within the parade.
However whilst Russia might not be at the verge of defeat, the best way that it celebrated its maximum vital vacation of the 12 months suggests a brand new war-weariness. It’s a large distinction with the arrogance exuded by way of Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky. His tongue-in-cheek decree giving Putin permission to carry the parade suggests a turning level within the two international locations’ morale – on the very least.
