In Photos: Moscow Celebrates Victory Day with Slimmed-Down Military Parade
Russians on Tuesday marked the 78th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II — the second Victory Day celebrations since Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year.
Despite heightened security concerns following a drone strike against the Kremlin itself last week, the bombastic military parade in Red Square went ahead as scheduled.
However, there were far fewer troops and equipment on display than in previous years — likely a result of the huge losses suffered by Russia's Armed Forces in Ukraine.
President Vladimir Putin delivered a speech in which he called for support for the military and bitterly criticized Western countries, which have sent billions of dollars of military support to Kyiv as it resists Russia's invasion.
Here is a closer look at Moscow’s Victory Day military parade:
Despite heightened security concerns following a drone strike against the Kremlin itself last week, the bombastic military parade in Red Square went ahead as scheduled.
However, there were far fewer troops and equipment on display than in previous years — likely a result of the huge losses suffered by Russia's Armed Forces in Ukraine.
President Vladimir Putin delivered a speech in which he called for support for the military and bitterly criticized Western countries, which have sent billions of dollars of military support to Kyiv as it resists Russia's invasion.
Here is a closer look at Moscow’s Victory Day military parade:
The military parade on Red Square featured less equipment and fewer soldiers than in previous years, with no flypast and just one tank.
Sergei Bobylev / TASS
Presidents Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, and Vladimir Putin attend the Red Square parade.
Gavriil Grigorov / kremlin.ru
About 8,000 military personnel marched across Red Square, the fewest since 2008, according to calculations by independent media outlets.
RIA Novosti / kremlin.ru
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu salutes rows of soldiers assembled in Red Square.
RIA Novosti / kremlin.ru
Standing in front of military veterans, Putin delivered a speech that conflated the current war in Ukraine with the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazism in 1945.
kremlin.ru
Snipers positioned on the roof of the GUM department store in Red Square.
Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency
Russia’s celebrations to mark the 78th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazism were scaled back due to heightened security concerns.
RIA Novosti / kremlin.ru
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the Victory Day parade in Moscow.
kremlin.ru
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko also attended the celebrations.
kremlin.ru
Kazakh President Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev.
kremlin.ru
An RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile system rolls onto Red Square to take part in the Victory Day parade.
kremlin.ru
Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko and Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev attend the parade in Moscow.
Sergei Karpukhin / TASS
The Kremlin has traditionally used Victory Day to promote patriotic unity.
Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency
A group of army cadets takes part in the Red Square military parade.
Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency
