Russia commemorates the 80th anniversary of its victory over Nazi Germany in World War II on Friday with a military parade, attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping. However, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine casts a shadow over the event, as Moscow fears disruptions from Ukrainian drone attacks.
The parade, scheduled for 0700 GMT, will feature thousands of Russian soldiers marching and military hardware such as intercontinental ballistic missiles and tanks parading past Lenin’s Mausoleum on Red Square. President Vladimir Putin, who has held power longer than Josef Stalin, will deliver a speech during the ceremony.
Despite the celebrations, the war in Ukraine looms large. Ukraine’s drone strikes on Moscow this week have raised concerns, and both Moscow and Kyiv accuse each other of violating a 72-hour ceasefire declared by Putin. The conflict has become Europe’s deadliest war since World War II, and tensions are high ahead of the parade.
The Kremlin points to the presence of international leaders such as Xi, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and representatives from former Soviet states, Africa, Asia, and Latin America, as evidence that Russia is not isolated, despite the absence of Western leaders. From Europe, only the leaders of Serbia and Slovakia are attending.
Putin, in his meeting with Xi, emphasized the lasting significance of the victory over fascism, which came at an immense cost. The Soviet Union lost 27 million people during WWII, including millions from Ukraine. The Soviet forces ultimately pushed Nazi troops back to Berlin, culminating in the raising of the Soviet flag over the Reichstag in 1945.
For Russians and many former Soviet peoples, May 9 is a deeply sacred day. Putin has repeatedly highlighted the Soviet Union’s sacrifices and victory, resisting efforts by the West to downplay the significance of this history.
Chinese President Xi also referenced the profound sacrifices made by China during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), which saw an estimated 35 million Chinese casualties. Xi’s comments served to underscore the long-standing importance of historical memory in both Russia and China, whose histories are intertwined with devastating wartime losses.
Meanwhile, the war in Ukraine continues, with no official casualty figures released. U.S. President Donald Trump, who has called for peace, has indicated that hundreds of thousands of soldiers on both sides have been killed or wounded.
Despite the ongoing conflict, Russia’s parade is intended to showcase military strength. Putin has implemented stringent security measures in Moscow, particularly after Ukrainian drone attacks disrupted air travel to the Russian capital in recent days. The Kremlin has promised tight security for the parade, with military units from 13 countries, including China, participating.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a speech to international allies, called for continued support to resist Russia’s occupation of about a fifth of Ukraine’s territory. Zelenskyy condemned Moscow’s Victory Day parade, calling it a “parade of cynicism” and accusing Russia of spreading lies.
The conflict continues to reshape regional dynamics, with both Russia and Ukraine marking this day with starkly different interpretations of historical and current events.