Russia held its propaganda parade for “Victory Day” in Moscow on May 9. Vladimir Putin delivered a speech during the event, while Alexander Lukashenko also attended the ceremony.
Details
Russia held the “Victory Day” parade on May 9, and the event lasted only 45 minutes. For the first time in many years, organizers did not display military equipment during the parade. Russian authorities explained the decision by referring to the “current situation.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Ukraine did not attempt to disrupt the parade. Earlier, on May 8, Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a decree allowing Russia to hold the parade on Red Square in Moscow.
Putin addressed the crowd during the parade and delivered a propaganda speech in which he distorted the history of World War II. According to him, the “Soviet people” brought freedom and sovereignty to European countries that had “capitulated to Nazi Germany and become obedient accomplices to its crimes.”
However, Putin did not mention the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. Under that agreement, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union decided to jointly invade Poland. They signed the pact in 1939. It also allowed Joseph Stalin to occupy the Baltic states and establish control over all of Ukraine and Belarus.
“Our fighters in Ukraine are resisting an aggressive force backed by the entire NATO bloc and, despite this, continue their offensive,” Putin said while referring to Russia’s war against Ukraine.
In addition, he claimed that victory had always belonged and would always belong to Russia. He also stated that modern Russia’s main goal is “victory in the war against Ukraine.”
Participants From Other Countries
Soldiers from North Korea marched in a separate column during the parade. Those troops have fought in Russia’s Kursk region. Back in October 2024, Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate first reported that Russian forces were preparing North Korean troops to participate in the war against Ukraine. As of February 2026, around 6,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed or wounded in the war.
Alexander Lukashenko, the self-proclaimed president of Belarus, also attended the parade in Moscow on May 9. According to Russian media reports, the presidents of Kazakhstan, Laos, and Uzbekistan also attended the event. The Supreme Ruler of Malaysia, the Prime Minister of Slovakia, and several other foreign delegation leaders were present as well.
Earlier, The Ukrainian Review reported that during the night of May 9, the Russian army attacked Ukraine with drones and an Iskander missile despite the start of the three-day ceasefire. Donald Trump initiated the ceasefire, and both sides agreed to it.
