Russian President Vladimir Putin led a heavily guarded Victory Day parade in Moscow’s Red Square on Friday, May 9, 2025, as the country marked the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany. This year’s commemorations unfolded under the cloud of war in Ukraine and escalating tensions with the West.
Among the international dignitaries in attendance was Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose presence underscored growing ties between Moscow and Beijing. Xi joined Putin in honoring the legacy of World War Two, as Russian troops—including some 1,500 combatants from the Ukraine war—marched in formation before thousands of spectators.
Putin used his speech to conflate the Soviet fight against Nazism with Russia’s current invasion of Ukraine, which he again framed as a “special military operation.” Asserting that “truth and justice are on our side,” he claimed unified national support for the campaign, now entering its fourth year.
For the first time, a convoy of combat drones took part in the parade, highlighting their increasing role on the Ukrainian battlefield. Putin declared that Russia remained “an indestructible barrier against Nazism, Russophobia, and antisemitism,” continuing to falsely label Ukraine’s leadership as Nazis.
The event coincided with a controversial three-day unilateral ceasefire declared by Russia. Ukraine, however, rejected the gesture as a “theatrical show,” accusing Moscow of violating the truce with thousands of continued attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the move as deceptive and renewed his call for a “real and lasting” 30-day ceasefire, a proposal backed by the US and European allies.
Despite Russian claims that their forces ceased offensive operations and only responded defensively to Ukrainian “violations,” Ukraine reported nearly 200 clashes, multiple air strikes, and thousands of shelling incidents along the front line within 48 hours of the ceasefire taking effect.
In a symbolic shift eastward, military contingents from China, North Korea, Vietnam, and Mongolia joined the parade. Notably, North Korea’s three-star General Kim Yong-bok was embraced by Putin, reinforcing reports of North Korean troops fighting in Russia’s Kursk region. In Pyongyang, Kim Jong Un marked the occasion by visiting Russia’s embassy, reflecting deepening ties between the two nations.
Putin and Xi held two rounds of talks prior to the parade, reportedly discussing the Ukraine conflict and other strategic matters. Chinese soldiers also marched through Red Square, while Xi sported a St. George ribbon—a Russian wartime symbol banned in several neighboring countries.
Western leaders largely stayed away. Only a few international figures, including Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, Serbia’s Aleksandar Vučić, and Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico, attended. Vučić’s attendance drew criticism from the EU, as Serbia remains a candidate for EU membership.
Ukrainian military analyst Mykhailo Samus noted that while Kyiv refrained from targeting the parade out of respect for the presence of foreign leaders, such gatherings could be considered legitimate military targets.
Zelensky, addressing the nation, reiterated his readiness for peace talks and called on Russia to honor a genuine ceasefire. “No missile or drone strikes, no assaults on the front,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, the parade concluded with a display of Russian military hardware, including Yars missile systems, tanks, and six Su-25 fighter jets soaring over Red Square.
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