Russia holds scaled-down Victory Day parade as temporary ceasefire in Ukraine war takes effect

By Zahra Ullah, CNN

Moscow (CNN) — Russian President Vladimir Putin presided over his most pared-back Victory Day parade on Moscow’s Red Square, after a three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine took effect.

Russia’s annual May 9 parade commemorates the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Under Putin, it has come to typically symbolize the country’s military strength. Usually known for it’s dazzling display of heavy military equipment, this year looked very different, with no military hardware on show at all – the first time in nearly two decades.

As he has done in previous years, Putin made a direct connection between Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine – the “special military operation,” as the Kremlin calls it, and the losses the Soviet Union incurred during WWII.

“The great feat of the victorious generation inspires the soldiers carrying out tasks of the special military operation today. They are standing up to an aggressive force armed and supported by the entire NATO bloc,” Putin said Saturday. “And yet, our heroes march forward.”

In a marked departure this year, Russian authorities previously announced there would be no display of heavy military hardware. Instead, a series of slick, pre-produced, pre-recorded videos that state media said were from the frontlines of Russia’s “special military operation” was broadcast on screens in the Red Square and aired across state media.

The video showcased Russia’s drone and air defense forces. But also strategic assets like long range bombers and nuclear capable submarines.

Forgoing the traditional show of force in favor of security, the parade took place after intensified Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russian territory, particularly against oil refineries, as the Ukrainian government accuses the Kremlin of continuing attacks on Kyiv and beyond.

After Ukraine and Russia accused each other of violating previously announced unilateral ceasefires, US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that both sides had agreed to a three-day ceasefire from May 9 to 11, including a halt to fighting and a large-scale prisoner exchange. The news was confirmed by both the Kremlin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with the latter saying the prisoner exchange would be “in the format of 1,000 for 1,000.”

The parade featured a flyover by fighter planes above the Kremlin, and soldiers marched on the Red Square, in front of Lenin’s mausoleum. Most international press had to rely on footage coming from Russian state media to cover the event.

Several international journalists, including CNN, who were accredited to attend the parade, were told by the Kremlin on Thursday that they were no longer able to do so. CNN were told only that the “host broadcasters” would be attending this year’s celebrations due to the curtailed format of the parade.

Four parade units, including from North Korea, participated in the parade, according to state media RIA Novosti. More than 1000 soldiers from the “special military operation” took part in the parade, state media added.

Around 27 million people in the Soviet Union, including many millions from Ukraine, died during WWII. Putin has repeatedly cast Moscow’s war in Ukraine as a continuation of what Russians call the Great Patriotic War.

That connection, which will be jarring for some, was on display during the parade. Seated to Putin’s left was a participant in Russia’s “special military operation” – Leonid Ryzhov – who was awarded a “Hero of Russia” title in 2022, and to his right was a WWII veteran – Svet Turunov, according to state media.

The clipped parade took place amid growing concerns in Russia around the slowing economy and increased internet restrictions which have disrupted daily life, but which Putin has said are necessary for public safety.

On Friday, one of Russia’s largest telecoms operators warned Muscovites they could face restrictions on mobile internet and text messaging around the capital city “to ensure security during the festive events,” according to messages seen by CNN.

Whereas last year Putin hosted China’s leader Xi Jinping and dozens of other foreign leaders, in a display of solidarity between non-Western powers, this year’s parade drew far fewer leaders to Moscow. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and his son Nikolai Lukashenko, Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar and the presidents of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Shavkat Mirziyoyev attended the parade in Moscow.

NATO and EU member Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is in Moscow for a bilateral meeting with Putin but did not attend the parade. He laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the Kremlin on Friday. Fico, whose country remains heavily dependent on Russian energy, told reporters he was in Moscow to urge dialogue aimed at ending the prolonged, grinding war in Ukraine.

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CNN’s Darya Tarasova and Katharina Krebs contributed to this report.