9 May: Moscow Parade With no Tanks or Missiles

Russia will hold its annual military parade on 9 May commemorating the victory against Nazi Germany in 1945. Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Russian servicemen wearing historical uniforms march during the Victory Day military parade at Red Square in central Moscow on May 9, 2025. (Photo by STRINGER / AFP) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google Russia will hold its annual military parade on 9 May commemorating the victory against Nazi Germany in 1945. The Ministry of Defence has announced that this year’s parade will take place with no military hardware, citing the “current operational situation” and concerns about drone attacks from Ukraine. Moscow’s security no longer guaranteed Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . Political scientist Ihor Petrenko writes in a Facebook post picked up by Glavkom (Ukraine): “This week the Institute for the Study of War highlighted an important point: for the first time since the beginning of the war, Putin personally commented on the attacks on Russian oil refineries. Moscow had previously ignored such incidents or denied them because they undermine the propagandist narrative. Now a reaction was unavoidable. ... Last year in the run up to 9 May around 280 air defence systems were sent to Moscow, some from remote regions. This year, however, now that Ukrainian drones are regularly hitting their targets more than 1,500 km inside the border, even this no longer offers a guarantee.” MP Mykola Knyazhizkyi writes on Facebook (Ukraine): “In 2023, the parade took place just a few days after drone attacks on the Kremlin. This parade is famous for including a T-34 tank that was rolled out of a museum as well as for using the presidents of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and several other countries as a kind of ‘human shield’. Because the whole of Russia – from the Baltic Sea to the Urals – is currently in turmoil, it’s unlikely that they will manage to find any foreign leader willing to provide ‘cover’ for Putin with their presence. All hopes rest on  Fico . This is why Putin rang Trump – so that he will act as a guarantor of security and ensure that Ukraine refrains from attacking Russia for a certain period.” Other Topics of Interest Zelensky: Ukrainian Drones May Target Moscow’s May 9 Parade Zelensky says this summer will be decisive in forcing Putin to choose between escalation or diplomacy, urging continued sanctions pressure on Russia’s oil, industry, and banks. Hard to fathom Fico’s motivation Új Szó speculates on why the Slovak prime minister is intent on travelling to Moscow (Slovakia): “It’s hard to understand why Robert Fico is so determined to go to Moscow or what his motivation might be. Is he really that keen to appear at the parade or stand in the VIP box alongside a handful of Central Asian dictators? Or is this in fact a phase of quiet economic networking in which the PM will be negotiating investments behind the scenes? Could it be nothing more than a gesture towards the pro-Russian section of Slovak society? Or is it actually a matter of principle which makes it vital for the Slovak premier to show his respect for the country’s liberation [in World War II]?”