Russia scales back Victory Day parade amid Ukraine drone threats

Moscow stripped its Victory Day spectacle to its bare minimum on Friday, removing military vehicles and heavy weaponry from Red Square for the first time in almost two decades as Ukraine drone fears and wartime strain reshaped one of the Kremlin’s most important rituals.

Russia marked the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany with a parade that was tightly secured and notably shorter than in past years. Russia’s Defense Ministry said there would be no military vehicles on Red Square, and officials blamed what Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called a Ukrainian “terrorist threat” and the “current operational situation.” The last Victory Day parade without military vehicles at all was in 2007, during Dmitry Medvedev’s presidency.

The downsizing went far beyond Moscow. Some Russian regions canceled their Victory Day parades entirely, including Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov, Chuvashia and Kaluga. Fireworks were also canceled in cities including Voronezh, Kursk, Bryansk and Belgorod. The result was one of the most muted Victory Day observances in years, a sign that Russia’s public display of military power was being constrained by the war it has tried to present as a source of strength.

The parade came after a series of temporary ceasefires clustered around May 8 to May 11. Russia declared a unilateral ceasefire from May 8 to May 9, Ukraine announced its own temporary ceasefire beginning at 00:00 on the night of May 5 to May 6 and said it would act reciprocally, and U.S. President Donald Trump announced a separate three-day ceasefire from May 9 to May 11. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would not attack Moscow’s Red Square parade during the ceasefire window.

Putin used the occasion to cast the war in Ukraine as a defense against an “aggressive” NATO-backed force and to express confidence in victory. The parade itself lasted about 45 minutes, with Putin speaking for roughly 10 minutes. Several foreign leaders attended Victory Day-related events in Moscow, but China and Iran were absent from the parade itself.

A striking new feature this year was the appearance of North Korean servicemen in Red Square for the first time. Reports said about 14,000 North Korean personnel had been dispatched to fight for Russia in Kursk, with around 6,000 believed killed, underscoring how far Moscow has gone to sustain its war effort as the public ceremony meant to project confidence was pared back under pressure.