Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that his country is facing “aggressive” forces supported by NATO in Ukraine. The traditional May 9 parade, celebrating victory over Nazi Germany, took place in Moscow without military vehicles amid fears of Ukrainian strikes.
Published on: May 9, 2026 10:26 Updated on: May 9, 2026 11:48
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Vladimir Putin spoke at the parade commemorating Russia’s victory over Nazi Germany in Moscow on May 9, 2026, with his speech broadcast on giant screens.
Russia marked the victory over Nazi Germany on Friday, May 9. As every year, these May 9 ceremonies provided an opportunity for Vladimir Putin to deliver a speech on the Red Square. “I firmly believe that our cause is just. We are together. The victory was ours and will remain so forever,” he declared in a parallel between the conflict in Ukraine and World War II, before the Russian anthem played.
“The great achievement of the victorious generation [against Germany] today inspires the soldiers leading the special military operation [the war in Ukraine]. They are facing an aggressive force armed and supported by the entire NATO bloc,” Vladimir Putin declared from the platform.
The military parade on Red Square preceded this speech. Several hundred soldiers were reviewed by Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, while President Vladimir Putin was seated in the stands, according to Russian public television.
To the sound of music from an orchestra, the soldiers responded with “Hurrahs” during this first part of the parade. North Korean soldiers, who helped Moscow drive Ukrainian troops out of the Kursk region in the spring of 2025, took part in the commemorations, according to Russian television.
The parade lasted only 45 minutes, with a very reduced setup, amid concerns that it would be targeted by Ukrainian drones: for the first time in over twenty years, there was no military equipment on Red Square, no cadets, and no military schools. A three-day ceasefire starting from Saturday was announced by US President Donald Trump on Friday, eliminating the risk of an attack.
The number of foreign dignitaries present was also lower: only the leaders of Belarus, Malaysia, Laos, and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico went to Moscow. Mobile internet was not working in central Moscow after recurring outages in previous days, and the streets of the capital were almost deserted, as noted by AFP journalists.
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