Russia held its smallest Victory Day parade in years on Saturday. The ongoing war in Ukraine forced Moscow to scale back the famous Red Square celebration. After more than 4 years of brutal fighting, Russian forces still struggle to secure a final victory. The May 9 holiday usually serves as a massive show of strength to honor the 27 million Soviet citizens who died defeating Nazi Germany. This year, the threat of drone strikes completely changed the tone of the event.
In past years, the military rolled heavy tanks and massive nuclear missiles over the stone streets. This time, the physical parade featured zero heavy military equipment. Instead, organizers set up giant television screens across Red Square. These massive screens displayed digital videos of weapons. The digital show included the Yars nuclear missile, the new Arkhangelsk submarine, Peresvet laser weapons, and Su-57 fighter jets.
While the heavy machines stayed hidden, human soldiers still marched through the square. Russian sailors and soldiers marched in tight formations. Some of these troops recently returned from the front lines in Ukraine. North Korean soldiers also marched alongside the Russian troops. These foreign fighters recently helped Russian forces fight against Ukrainian units in the Kursk region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin watched the soldiers from a grandstand near the famous Lenin Mausoleum. He sat next to elderly military veterans and delivered an 8-minute speech. Fighter jets roared over the Kremlin towers as Putin spoke to the crowd. He promised his country would win the war. He told the citizens that Russian heroes march forward even as they fight the combined strength of the entire NATO alliance.
Meanwhile, a surprising diplomatic breakthrough happened far away from the parade. United States President Donald Trump announced a 3-day ceasefire that runs from Saturday through Monday. Both Moscow and Kyiv agreed to stop shooting for the weekend. The two warring nations also agreed to swap exactly 1,000 prisoners of war. Trump told reporters in Washington that he wants to see the fighting stop completely.
Trump described the conflict as the worst loss of life since World War 2. He pointed out that roughly 25,000 young soldiers die every single month. He called the massive death toll crazy and stated he wants to see a big extension to the current 3-day peace deal. So far, neither side has reported any violations of the weekend ceasefire.
Tensions remained incredibly high leading up to the holiday weekend. Russian officials warned Ukraine not to launch any attacks during the parade. They promised to launch a massive missile strike against Kyiv if any Ukrainian drones hit Moscow. They even advised foreign diplomats to evacuate their staff from the Ukrainian capital just in case. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy responded with a joke. He issued a fake decree that officially allowed the Russian parade to happen safely.
Security forces took no chances in Moscow. Armed soldiers stood on top of pickup trucks holding heavy rifles. Police blocked major roads across the center of the capital. Securing the city requires massive effort, as the capital and its surrounding region are home to roughly 22 million people. The intense security measures highlight the growing anxiety within Russia about the direction of the long war.
The conflict creates massive problems at home. The fighting killed hundreds of thousands of people and drained the massive $3 trillion Russian economy. A jailed Russian nationalist, Igor Girkin, recently criticized the government on social media. Girkin warned that the Russian economy could easily go into a complete tailspin. He compared the Russian leadership to nervous sailors on a sinking ship. He said the leaders care more about keeping their comfortable cabins than saving the actual boat.
The Kremlin also fought back against rumors of internal panic. Western news networks recently reported that Putin increased his personal security team because he feared a military coup. CNN claimed that European intelligence agencies suspected former defense minister Sergei Shoigu might lead a rebellion. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called these reports total nonsense. Proving the rumors wrong, Shoigu attended the Saturday parade and sat right next to Putin’s most powerful allies.
