On Saturday, May 9, the Victory Parade took place on Red Square in Moscow. It was broadcast on Russian TV channels. The parade lasted approximately 45 minutes – although in previous years it took at least an hour, Meduza emphasizes.
For the first time since 2007, the parade took place without military equipment. The Russian Ministry of Defense explained this decision by the “current operational situation.” Students from the Suvorov and Nakhimov schools also did not take part in the parade.
The aerial portion of the parade was not canceled this year.
Before the truce was announced, Russia said that if Kyiv tried to “disrupt” the parade, the Russian military would respond with a massive missile strike on the Ukrainian capital. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky did not directly threaten to strike Moscow during the parade, but said that the Russian leadership was “afraid” of Ukrainian drones over Red Square.
After the United States, Russia and Ukraine announced the truce, Zelensky signed a decree in which he “authorized” the parade and promised not to strike Red Square at this time, indicating its satellite coordinates.
Putin, speaking at the parade, talked a lot about history and again declared that Russia would win the war against Ukraine, which he usually called a “special military operation.”
Together with Putin, the parade was observed by the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith, the King of Malaysia Ibrahim Ismail and the leader of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko.
Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico also arrived in Moscow, but he did not go to the parade on Red Square, limiting himself to laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Alexander Garden, the BBC notes.