This Saturday, Russia celebrates its victory over Nazi Germany during the traditional parade on Moscow’s Red Square. This year, the commemorations are more sober than usual.
Images of celebrations on Moscow’s Red Square are scrutinized every year. And 2026 is no exception. This Saturday, May 9, Russia celebrates its victory over Nazi Germany in 1945 during a ceremony marked by a three-day truce announced yesterday by Donald Trump and accepted by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Vladimir Putin was there, accompanied by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. In front of hundreds of soldiers standing at attention, the Russian president affirmed in his speech that the Russian army in Ukraine faces an “aggressive force” supported by NATO. He maintains that “the great feat of the victorious generation (against Adolf Hitler) today inspires the soldiers who lead the special military operation (in Ukraine).”
“I am firmly convinced that our cause is just. We are together. The victory was ours and it will be forever,” he added, before the Russian anthem sounded.
More modest celebrations
This parade took place under high security. From 10 a.m. (9 a.m. in France), it was marked by the absence of military equipment on Red Square. Also absent are the cadet corps and military schools. For the first time in twenty years, Moscow has decided to reduce the pomp of its celebrations.
The number of foreign dignitaries has also decreased. Only the leaders of Belarus, Malaysia and Laos and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico traveled to Moscow, in addition to those of the two separatist Georgian republics supported by Moscow and not recognized by the UN, according to the Kremlin.
According to Russian television, soldiers from the North Korean army, who helped Moscow in the spring of 2025 to drive out Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region, took part in the commemorations, which lasted only 45 minutes. Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov is also present.
Moscow had already declared a truce on May 8 and 9 for the commemorations, but both Ukraine and Russia continued their drone attacks after this unilateral announcement.
After two attempted truces, Ukrainian then Russian, which were not respected this week, the American president announced Friday evening a three-day ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia starting on Saturday.
“Let us hope that this is the beginning of the end of a very long war,” the American president wrote on his Truth Social platform, specifying that the ceasefire would be accompanied by a “prisoner exchange of 1,000 detainees from each country.”
Just after the publication of Donald Trump’s message, the Ukrainian president agreed to the three-day ceasefire and ordered the army not to attack the planned parade on Red Square. Moscow also confirmed having accepted the truce and the exchange of prisoners.
