MOSCOW — Russia commemorated 80 years since the defeat of Nazi Germany on Friday with a grand military parade in Moscow’s Red Square, led by President Vladimir Putin and attended by global allies including Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The Victory Day celebrations, deeply symbolic for Russia, unfolded under heightened security following a series of Ukrainian drone strikes near the capital. Despite ongoing hostilities in Ukraine, the Kremlin pressed ahead with its traditional show of military might, even announcing a unilateral three-day ceasefire — a gesture Kyiv dismissed as a “theatrical show.”
“In Russia, Victory Day is celebrated as the most important holiday,” President Putin declared in his address. He linked the historic victory of 1945 to Russia’s ongoing military campaign in Ukraine, now entering its fourth year, reiterating his claim that the nation stands united behind what he still refers to as the “special military operation.”
The Soviet Union lost over 27 million people in World War II — a figure Russia continues to invoke as a cornerstone of national identity and sacrifice.
Ahead of the President’s speech and a moment of silence, 11,000 troops — including 1,500 veterans of the Ukraine conflict — marched into Red Square under the command of Ground Forces head Oleg Salyukov. They were reviewed by newly appointed Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, highlighting a recent shake-up in Russia’s military leadership.
International solidarity was on display as foreign troops from China, North Korea, Vietnam, and Mongolia participated in the parade. A contingent of 102 Chinese soldiers marched alongside their Russian counterparts, symbolizing growing ties between Beijing and Moscow. President Xi, seated next to Putin and donning the orange-and-black St. George ribbon — a symbol of wartime heroism — was among 27 world leaders invited to attend.
Russia showcased a formidable array of modern military hardware, including Yars intercontinental missile systems, tanks, and armored personnel carriers. The spectacle concluded with a flyover by six Su-25 fighter jets streaking across the Moscow sky.
Though framed as a moment of national unity and historical reverence, this year’s Victory Day underscored Russia’s complex position on the global stage, caught between commemoration and conflict.
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