Putin leads victory day parade as Xi joins amid Ukraine strikes

President Vladimir Putin led Russia’s annual Victory Day commemorations on Thursday with a grand military parade in Moscow’s Red Square, under a blanket of heightened security following a string of Ukrainian strikes on the capital in recent days.

The celebration, marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany, carried potent political symbolism and underscored Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.

China’s President Xi Jinping stood prominently alongside Putin as thousands of troops marched in formation and military hardware rolled past Lenin’s Mausoleum.

In a pointed address to both domestic and international audiences, Putin invoked the memory of World War Two, claiming Russia still upheld its lessons amid what he continued to describe as a “special military operation” in Ukraine.

“Russia remembers who stood against evil then, and we know who is confronting it now,” Putin declared, as over 20 foreign leaders looked on. “Our nation stands united behind our defenders — those who fight for our sovereignty, for truth, for the future of our great country.”

Now well into its fourth year, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has become the defining feature of Putin’s presidency.

Thursday’s address marked one of his most direct attempts yet to link the current war with the legacy of the USSR’s victory in 1945.

Notably, this year’s parade featured for the first time a column of military trucks carrying combat drones, a clear nod to the central role unmanned aerial vehicles now play on the battlefield.

Analysts said their inclusion was both practical and symbolic, reflecting Russia’s evolving military doctrine and a desire to showcase technological resilience.

Despite the show of strength, the atmosphere was tense. Moscow deployed additional air defenses and imposed flight restrictions amid fears of more Ukrainian drone attacks.

Authorities confirmed several attempted strikes earlier in the week had been intercepted, while debris from downed drones was found in multiple districts.

In a gesture aimed at framing the event as one of solemn national unity, the Kremlin announced a unilateral, three-day ceasefire coinciding with the commemorations.

However, Ukrainian officials swiftly dismissed the move as a “theatrical show,” insisting Russia continued offensive operations elsewhere and reiterating Kyiv’s refusal to pause its counteroffensive during what it called a “propaganda stunt.”

The optics of Xi Jinping’s presence were also carefully choreographed. His attendance, the first since 2015, signaled a strengthening of Sino-Russian ties even as Beijing continues to walk a diplomatic tightrope over the Ukraine conflict.

Both leaders held a bilateral meeting after the parade, reaffirming their strategic partnership.

With the war grinding on and Russian casualties mounting, Putin’s Victory Day message appeared aimed not only at boosting morale but also at reinforcing a narrative of historical righteousness.

Yet, for many observers — both within and outside Russia — the spectacle only served to highlight the deep chasm between memory and modern conflict.