Vladimir Putin is overseeing an enormous army parade in Moscow these days along his ‘expensive pal’ China‘s Xi Jinping as Russia marks the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s conquer Nazi Germany in World War II.
Twenty-nine leaders, together with best Kremlin allies Xi, Putin’s right-hand guy in Europe, Belarus‘ Alexander Lukashenko, and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva are in attendance on the Victory Day parade in Red Square.
Putin shared a heat handshake and posed for footage with Xi this morning, dispelling any phantasm that efforts through US President Donald Trump to power a wedge between the Eastern powers had succeeded.
The Russian and Chinese leaders nestled side-by-side to look at the parade in a display of solidarity once they issued a commentary the day prior to this condemning Trump‘s plan for an Iron Dome-like missile defence device.
They mentioned Trump’s transfer to create a complicated ‘Golden Dome’ device to protect the United States from all missile threats could be ‘deeply destabilising’ and would chance turning area right into a ‘battlefield’.
Putin and his visitors watched on as a horde of Russian infantrymen goose-stepped to outdated marching songs and roared to their commanders earlier than world visitors and Russia’s best brass.
They have been adopted through an enormous procession of Russian army era that noticed dozens of tanks – together with essentially the most complicated T-90M variants – drones used to batter Ukraine, S400 Triumph air defence missile methods and the gargantuan Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles roll previous the Mausoleum of Vladimir Lenin.
A flight of Su-25, Su-30 and MiG-29 fighter jets and bombers soared overhead trailing smoke within the white, blue and crimson of the Russian tricolour.
Russia’s defence minister Andrey Belousov, who arrived in Red Square atop a convertible Russian Aurus executive automotive, addressed and inspected the troops, who replied with a refrain of ‘hurrah!’, earlier than Putin took to the degree to ship a rousing speech.
Putin declared that Russia will all the time have in mind and admire the contribution of US and European allies to victory in World War II.
But he went on to mention he would by no means permit the ‘true victors over Nazism to be slandered’ and that Moscow would ‘combat towards the atrocities of the fans of Nazism’, echoing the Kremlin’s rhetoric that Russia is making an attempt to ‘de-Nazify’ its neighbour.
‘The complete nation, society and folks enhance the individuals of the particular army operation,’ Putin insisted, including: ‘We are proud in their bravery and backbone, of the fortitude that has all the time introduced us most effective victory.’
The Kremlin’s so-called ‘particular army operation’ is if truth be told the deadliest conflict in Europe for the reason that war these days’s parade is commemorating.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, appropriate, and Chinese President Xi Jinping watch the Victory Day army parade in Moscow, Russia, Friday, May 9, 2025

Putin, Xi and others watch on because the parade unfolds

Russian servicemen participate within the Victory Day army parade in Moscow, Russia, Friday, May 9, 2025, marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany right through the World War II

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech right through an army parade on Victory Day

Russia’s Defence Minister Andrei Belousov rides on an Aurus cabriolet right through an army parade on Victory Day

Volunteers serving to a veteran of the Great Patriotic War right through the Victory Day army parade, marking the 80th anniversary of victory within the Great Patriotic War

A handout photograph made to be had through Photo host Agency RIA Novosti presentations Chinese servicemen attending the Victory Day army parade, marking the 80th anniversary of victory within the Great Patriotic War

Russian servicemen participate within the Victory Day army parade in Moscow, Russia, Friday, May 9, 2025, marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany right through the World War II
Putin hopes the day might be remembered as one in every of pomp, circumstance and patriotism.
But his reverse quantity in Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has been sowing fears within the Russian capital that Victory Day complaints won’t finish neatly, announcing he may just now not ‘ensure the protection’ of any international leaders who make a choice to wait.
Ukraine attacked Moscow with drones for a number of days this week, and Moscow and Kyiv accused every different of breaking a 72-hour ceasefire declared through Putin.
The Kremlin says the attendance of Russian allies comparable to Xi, Lula da Silva and several other dozen leaders from the previous Soviet Union, Africa, Asia and Latin America presentations Russia isn’t remoted despite the fact that Moscow’s former WW2 Western allies need to keep away.
From Europe, the leaders of Serbia and Slovakia will attend.
‘The victory over fascism, accomplished at the price of monumental sacrifices, has a permanent importance,’ Putin advised Xi within the Kremlin the day prior to this.
‘The numerous sacrifices made through each our peoples must by no means be forgotten.’
Previous Victory Day festivities have observed hundreds of army servicemen march thru Moscow‘s Red Square flanked through armoured automobiles, tanks and nuclear guns as Russia’s President and his inside circle watch on.
This yr’s procession is anticipated to be even grander to mark the 80th anniversary of the top of what Russians discuss with as ‘Great Patriotic War’, such was once the extent of sacrifice required to defeat Hitler.
The effort to defeat the Nazis – wherein some 26 million Soviets perished through conservative estimates – performs a vastly necessary function within the Russian collective awareness and is leveraged through Putin and the Kremlin to maximize enhance for these days’s conflict in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping attend an army parade on Victory Day, marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2025

Russian servicemen collaborating within the Victory Day army parade

Putin delivers a speech at Victory Day parade

Russian servicemen collaborating within the Victory Day army parade

Putin shared a heat handshake and posed for footage with Xi this morning earlier than the arena leaders went to seek out their seats forward of the parade, with the Russian and Chinese presidents nestled side-by-side

Thousands of infantrymen are marching thru Red Square

Russian army officers rolled thru Red Square

Putin is observed talking with an aged former serviceman as Xi listens in

Putin is observed talking with an aged former serviceman

Russian infantrymen salute because the parade starts
That Victory Day unfolds with out a hitch is so necessary for the Kremlin that the Russian President even declared a three-day ceasefire in his conflict on Ukraine from May 8-10 in an try to safeguard the celebrations.
All cell networks and web information transmissions had been bring to an end in central Moscow as an additional safety measure.
But Zelensky, whose folks had been indiscriminately centered through Russia’s missiles and killer drones for greater than 3 years, has roundly rejected the measly armistice be offering and warned that Moscow may well be beneath risk from aerial moves.
As if to turn out his level, Ukraine previous this week unleashed a wave of greater than 100 drones over Western Russia, forcing closures or flight cancellations in any respect 4 Moscow airports at the same time as Russian servicemen and girls performed practice session drills forward of the large day.
‘Our place could be very easy for all nations travelling to Russia on May 9: We can’t be held chargeable for what occurs at the territory of the Russian Federation,’ he mentioned, including Putin was once ‘enjoying video games to create a pleasing surroundings’ for the parade.
As Russia showcased the most efficient of its army era in Moscow these days, one in every of Europe’s main intelligence officers warned that Moscow is getting ready to combat a big conflict.
Dutch army intelligence leader [MIVD] Vice-Admiral Peter Reesink warned starkly: ‘Russia is generating a lot more artillery, additionally with lend a hand from different nations, than they want for the conflict with Ukraine.’
Putin isn’t just replenishing depleted stockpiles however shifting new artillery devices towards NATO borders, together with the Baltic nations and Finland, he advised Politico.
‘That’s a sign for us that they’re increase capacity’.

Putin speaks with Defence Minister Andrey Belousov

Russian President Vladimir Putin greets President of China Xi Jinping, left, forward of the Victory Day army parade in Moscow, Russia, Friday, May 9, 2025

President of Russia Vladimir Putin welcoming the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko (L) within the Kremlin earlier than the Victory Day army parade

Red Square is internet hosting the Victory Day parade
Meanwhile, EU overseas ministers collected in Ukraine to comply with a different conflict crimes tribunal meant to snare Putin and virtually two dozen different Russian leaders.
‘There might be no impunity. There might be duty for the crimes dedicated,’ mentioned Kaja Kallas, the EU’s best diplomat.
Criticising leaders at the podium with Putin in Moscow, she mentioned: ‘I need to rigidity that each one those that in reality enhance peace can’t stand side-by-side with Putin, who has began this full-scale conflict of aggression in Ukraine…
‘Those who in reality enhance peace must be in Ukraine slightly than in Moscow,’ she declared because the EU introduced a big new help bundle for Ukraine.
‘Despite the adversarial perspective against Russia from numerous Western nations, we’re very effectively conserving an excessively large-scale tournament,’ mentioned Yuri Ushakov, the Kremlin’s best overseas coverage adviser.
Victory Day processions are being held around the country, with side road events and processions observed as a long way east as Vladivostok virtually 4,000 miles clear of Moscow.
Even despite the fact that few veterans of the ‘Great Patriotic War’ are nonetheless alive 80 years after Berlin fell to the Red Army, the victory over Nazi Germany stays an important and broadly respected image of Soviet and Russian army prowess.
Nazi troops overran a lot of the western Soviet Union after they invaded in June 1941, earlier than being pushed again all of the approach to Berlin, the place the united states’s hammer and sickle flag was once raised above the ruined capital.
The US, UK, France and different allies mark the top of the conflict in Europe on May 8.
In 2024, hundreds of Russian servicemen paraded thru Red Square to salute their chief adopted through a Yars (ICBM) launcher.
But ultimate yr’s procession was once particularly missing in army {hardware}.
One solitary World War II-era tank trundled in the course of the centre of Moscow, accompanied through little various cell rocket launchers.
This yr, Putin is dedicated to turn Russia’s army energy has now not been lowered, with manufacturing ranges of artillery and different ammunition appearing Russia is making sure it may well salary conflict indefinitely.
Some Russian mavens concern Putin now will depend on a conflict economic system and can’t halt his army dependency.
Today’s parade didn’t disappoint as dozens of tanks, armoured automobiles and infantry combating machines, missile launchers, nuclear guns or even drones triumphantly proceeded thru Red Square.

Russian servicemen get ready for the Victory Day army parade, marking the 80th anniversary of victory within the Great Patriotic War, at the Red Square in Moscow, Russia, 09 May 2025

Russian carrier participants march in columns earlier than an army parade on Victory Day, marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two

A Russian tank strikes alongside a bridge earlier than an army parade on Victory Day, marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2025.

Russian tanks power alongside a highway earlier than an army parade on Victory Day, marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Moscow, Russia, May 9, 2025

A person rides a scooter in entrance of a celeb and inscription studying ‘1945 Hero City Moscow 2025’ put in to mark the approaching Victory Day in Moscow, Russia

Russian Sukhoi Su-30SM and Mikoyan MiG-29 jet opponents adopted through Su-25 fighter bombers fly over Red Square leaving trails of smoke within the colors of the Russian nationwide flag right through the Victory Day army parade practice session with the Spasskaya Tower in Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin right through their assembly on the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Monday, May 5, 2025

Russian ‘Yars’ intercontinental ballistic missile launcher takes section within the Victory Day army parade in Moscow, Russia, 09 May 2024

A solitary Soviet period T-34 tank with a crimson flag atop rolls right through the Victory Day army parade in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, May 9, 2024

Russian servicemen march right through the Victory Day army parade in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, May 9, 2024, marking the 79th anniversary of the top of World War II
Eighty years on from the top of World War II, the sacrifice made through hundreds of thousands upon hundreds of thousands of Soviet voters stays a part of Russia’s collective awareness.
The immense struggling in towns like Stalingrad, Kursk and Putin’s local Leningrad – now St. Petersburg – nonetheless function a formidable image of the rustic’s skill to be triumphant towards reputedly overwhelming demanding situations.
Since coming to energy at the ultimate day of 1999, Putin has made May 9 crucial a part of his political schedule, that includes shows of army would possibly.
Columns of tanks and missiles roll throughout Red Square and squadrons of fighter jets roar overhead as medal-bedecked veterans sign up for him to check the parade.
Many put on the black-and-orange St. George’s ribbon this is historically related to Victory Day.
Putin steadily talks about his circle of relatives historical past, sharing recollections of his father, who fought at the entrance right through the Nazi siege of town and was once badly wounded.
As Putin tells it, his father, additionally named Vladimir, got here house from an army health center right through the conflict to look employees attempting to remove his spouse, Maria, who have been declared lifeless of hunger.
But the elder Putin didn’t consider she had died – announcing she had most effective misplaced awareness, susceptible with starvation.
Their first kid, Viktor, died right through the siege when he was once 3, one in every of greater than 1 million Leningrad citizens who died within the 872-day blockade, maximum of them from hunger.
For a number of years, Putin carried a photograph of his father in Victory Day marches – as did others honouring family who have been conflict veterans – in what was once known as the ‘Immortal Regiment.’
Those demonstrations have been suspended right through the coronavirus pandemic and alternatively amid safety issues after the beginning of the combating in Ukraine.