Putin used a stripped-back Victory Day parade to attack Nato and justify the war in Ukraine, with no tanks, few foreign leaders, and a ceasefire that collapsed within hours.
Moscow marks Victory Day 2026 with a stripped-back Red Square parade, no tanks, mobile networks throttled and a shaky three-day ceasefire hanging over it all. Here is what the trimmed spectacle really tells us about Putin's Russia.
For the first time in nearly twenty years, Moscow's Victory Day parade will roll out without a single tank or missile. The reason says more about the war in Ukraine than the Kremlin would like.
Putin has declared a two-day Victory Day ceasefire while Zelensky has countered with an open-ended truce starting 6 May 2026. Here is what the duelling pauses really mean.
Russia has confirmed its 9 May Victory Day parade will go ahead without military vehicles or cadets for the first time in nearly two decades, citing a 'terrorist threat' from Kyiv as Ukrainian drones reach ever deeper into Russian territory.