9 May 2026 | Moscow, Russia
MOSCOW – The tanks were missing. The missiles were gone. And the man who once promised to restore Russia's glory presided over a parade that looked more like a confession than a celebration.
Vladimir Putin oversaw a notably scaled-back Victory Day parade on Red Square on Saturday – just 45 minutes, roughly half the length of previous years – as security fears and the grinding reality of the Ukraine war cast a shadow over Russia's most important secular holiday.
For the first time in nearly 20 years, the event – typically a bombastic show of military strength – took place without a display of tanks and ballistic missiles. The customary parade of armoured vehicles, a fixture since Putin introduced military hardware in 2017, was absent entirely. In its place, guests were shown a video showcasing Russia's drone capabilities and nuclear arsenal.
⚡ THE NUMBERS: 45 minutes (parade length – half of previous years) • First time in 20 years without tanks/missiles • 3-day ceasefire with Ukraine • Prisoner exchange agreed • North Korean soldiers marched • Internet switched off across Moscow
"Victory Has Always Been Ours": Putin's Defiant Tone
The Russian president struck a defiant tone, invoking the sacrifices of the second world war to rally support for his troops in Ukraine.
"The great feat of the generation of victors inspires the warriors carrying out the tasks of the special military operation today," he said, using the Kremlin's preferred euphemism for his invasion of Ukraine.
"They stand against an aggressive force armed and supported by the entire Nato bloc. And despite this, our heroes move forward. Victory has always been and will always be ours."
But the confident rhetoric could not mask the reality on the ground. The parade laid bare a moment of acute weakness for the Russian president.
— Vladimir Putin, at the Victory Day parade
The Parade That Almost Didn't Happen
Moscow on Saturday was blanketed in heavy security, with internet services switched off across the city. Russian authorities openly acknowledged that the security measures were designed specifically to protect Putin – an admission that underscored just how dramatically the calculus of a war Russia once expected to win in weeks has shifted.
It was not until the final hours that it became clear Ukraine would not disrupt the parade. On the eve of the event, US President Donald Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a three-day ceasefire and prisoner exchange.
Earlier in the week, Putin had pressed Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a ceasefire to coincide with the parade. Ukraine initially dismissed the proposal as a cynical ploy to shield the celebrations from drone attacks.
Zelenskyy's response came on Friday night in the form of a decree laced with sardonic wit: Ukraine would, he announced, "permit" Russia to hold the event, by choosing not to attack it, out of deference to a request from the US president. The ceasefire is set to hold until 11 May.
North Korean Soldiers on Red Square: A New Alliance on Display
The audience included only a small delegation of foreign leaders from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Laos and Malaysia. Gone were the Western leaders who once attended. In their place, a column of North Korean soldiers marched across the square – troops from one of Russia's closest allies, who have fought alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.
The image was striking: North Korean soldiers in Red Square, marching to commemorate the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. It was a visual testament to how far Russia's alliances have shifted – and how isolated Moscow has become.
Putin was seated not beside veterans of the second world war as in previous years, but flanked by soldiers who had fought in Ukraine. The message was unmistakable: this war is now the defining struggle of his reign.
Victory Day: A Shadow of Its Former Self
"It was a modest parade," wrote the pro-Kremlin commentator Sergei Markov on Telegram, adding: "There are still enormous challenges ahead."
The parade lasted about 45 minutes – roughly half the length of previous years. The customary display of missiles and armoured vehicles was replaced by a video showcasing Russia's drone capabilities and nuclear arsenal.
This year's Victory Day parade was the first to be held since Russia's war on Ukraine has outlasted the Soviet Union's entire campaign against Nazi Germany. The war that was supposed to last weeks has stretched into years. The victory that was promised remains nowhere in sight.
The Mood Inside Russia: Souring Fast
With no victory in sight and no timeline for an end to the war, the mood inside Russia is souring. Mass internet blackouts in the weeks before the parade, imposed by security services and justified as necessary precautions, have fuelled public anger and dragged on Putin's approval ratings.
After years of war-fuelled growth, driven largely by massive military spending, the Russian economy is now showing signs of strain. Growth has slowed sharply, with rising inflation squeezing ordinary Russians and businesses alike, while the budget deficit climbs to record highs.
On the battlefield, the picture is similarly grinding. Russian troops are near a standstill, with neither side appearing close to a breakthrough. Advances have slowed in recent months, both armies showing signs of exhaustion and sustaining heavy casualties, while continuing to strike each other's energy infrastructure.
Yet there is little sign that any of this is pushing Putin toward compromise. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told Russian media that Moscow sees no basis for a new round of trilateral talks with Ukraine and the US until Ukrainian forces withdraw from the Donetsk region – a condition Kyiv has flatly rejected.
📊 VICTORY DAY 2026 AT A GLANCE
- Parade duration: 45 minutes (half of previous years)
- Tanks/missiles on display: Zero (first time in 20 years)
- Foreign leaders: Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Laos, Malaysia only
- North Korean soldiers: Marched in Red Square
- Internet in Moscow: Switched off
- Security measures: Openly acknowledged to protect Putin
- Ceasefire: 3-day agreement with Ukraine (until May 11)
- Prisoner exchange: Agreed alongside ceasefire
What Comes Next?
The parade is over. The ceasefire holds – for now. Putin has delivered his speech. The tanks stayed in their garages. North Korean soldiers marched in their place.
"Victory has always been and will always be ours," Putin declared. But on Red Square, surrounded by empty space where armour once rolled, the words sounded less like a promise and more like a prayer.
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