Kremlin Bars Foreign Media From Moscow’s May 9 Parade Coverage

The Kremlin revoked accreditation for major foreign media ahead of Moscow’s May 9 Victory Day parade, limiting coverage to Russian outlets only. The event will take place in a scaled-down format without heavy military hardware and with far fewer foreign guests than last year, amid heightened security concerns and reported mobile internet disruptions across Moscow. Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied A woman stands in a street with Victory Day decorations and Red Square in the background, in central Moscow on May 6, 2026. Russia will celebrate the 81st anniversary of the 1945 victory over Nazi Germany on May 9. (Photo by Igor IVANKO / AFP) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google The Kremlin has revoked accreditation for major foreign media outlets ahead of Russia’s May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow, allowing only Russian state media to cover the event. According to Spiegel , foreign journalists who had already received official approval were informed by phone that their permits had been canceled. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . Among the outlets reportedly stripped of access were ARD, ZDF, Sky News , Agence France-Presse, Rai and NHK. A Kremlin official told the German outlet the move was linked to a change in the “format” of parade coverage “due to the current situation,” adding that “only Russian media outlets are now permitted.” Spiegel said it was the first known case in which foreign media were granted accreditation for the annual May 9 celebrations only to have it withdrawn days before the event. This year’s Victory Day parade on Moscow’s Red Square is expected to take place in a scaled-down format , without the traditional display of heavy military equipment. Only marching military units are expected to participate. The guest list is also noticeably smaller than last year’s heavily promoted 80th anniversary celebrations. In 2025, the Kremlin said 29 foreign leaders attended the parade, including Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. This year, only a limited number of foreign leaders are expected in Moscow, including Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim and Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith. Representatives from Republika Srpska, the Serb entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, are also expected in Moscow, including Milorad Dodik. The Kremlin’s guest list further includes leaders of Russian-backed breakaway territories, among them Abkhaz leader Badra Gunba and South Ossetian leader Alan Gagloev. The event comes amid heightened security concerns and warnings of possible disruptions in Moscow. Russian mobile operators have reportedly alerted residents that mobile internet and SMS services may experience outages between May 5 and May 9. Meanwhile, Russian-installed authorities in annexed Crimea have canceled May 9 military parades and mass events, while at least 15 Russian regions have reportedly scrapped Victory Day parades altogether. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization since 1995. Its international market reach of 97% outside of Ukraine makes it truly Ukraine’s Global – and most reliable – Voice.