Russia held its annual Victory Day military parade in Moscow to commemorate the defeat of Nazi Germany during World War II. The parade was attended by Russian military units and North Korean soldiers.
A military formation carrying the Russian flag set off the parade at around 10 a.m in Red Square. The event was notably downsized this year due to security concerns.
Victory Day is considered to be Russia’s most important secular holiday.
President Vladmir Putin spoke on the occasion amid tight security, “Victory has always been and will be ours. The key to success is our moral strength, courage and valour, our unity and ability to endure anything and overcome any challenge.”
He also used the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany to gather support for the Russian army operating in Ukraine.
“The great feat of the generation of victors inspires the soldiers carrying out the goals of the special military operation today,” he said. “They are confronting an aggressive force armed and supported by the entire NATO bloc. And despite this, our heroes move forward.
Putin has long used Victory Day as a platform to display Russia’s military strength and gain support for his invasion of Ukraine that began in 2022. However, the parade for this year was devoid of tanks, missiles, and other heavy weapons, an anomaly from the past two decades in which Putin has been in power.
Al Jazeera’s Yulia Shapovalova reported that the 45-minute parade showed a video of Russian military equipment deployed to Ukraine. According to the reporter, there had been an understanding to prioritise tanks at the military front and not at the parade.
Officials said the change in format of the parade was due to the “current operational situation” and potential threats of Ukrainian attacks. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov informed that the authorities had taken “additional security measures.”
U.S President Donald Trump had announced on Friday that a temporary ceasefire was agreed upon by Ukraine and Russia for three days, beginning from Saturday. The agreement also included a prisoner swap between both countries. Trump added that the temporary suspension in fighting could be the “beginning of the end” of the five-year war.
