That’s all for today!
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We will be back soon with more updates and analysis from Russia and its war in Ukraine.
Peace settlement in Ukraine ‘very long way’ away, Kremlin says
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The Kremlin said that a settlement to the war in Ukraine is a “very long way” away.
“It is understandable that the American side is in a hurry,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state media reporters.
“But the issue of a Ukrainian settlement is far too complex, and reaching a peace agreement is a very long way with complex details,” he added.
Putin welcomes Fico to the Kremlin
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Vladimir Putin welcomed Robert Fico, the Slovak prime minister, to the Kremlin as the only EU leader visiting Moscow during Victory Day celebrations.
“I know there were some difficulties with your trip to Moscow. But the important thing is that you’re here,” the Russian president told Mr Fico.
The Slovak leader earlier said his decision to travel to Moscow this week had sparked criticism from European leaders.
“In the European Union, there is always some black sheep. So I belong to that flock,” he told journalists.
Mr Fico also said he planned to discuss “practical issues” with Putin and to deliver “messages” from various European politicians.
Pictured: Putin’s brief address to Victory Day parade
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Ceasefire appears to have held overnight
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There have been no high-level reports that the US-brokered three-day ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv was violated overnight.
The surprise truce, announced by Donald Trump late on Friday, will last until Monday.
According to Ukraine’s Air Force, 43 Russian drones were fired towards the country after 6pm last night. It did not specify whether any were launched after midnight, when the ceasefire took hold.
Meanwhile, Russia’s defence ministry said that 44 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted in the last few hours of May 8.
Despite alerts resulting from reconnaissance drones, war monitoring channels did not report any drone incursions violating the fragile truce in the early hours of Saturday.
This marks one of the longest periods of time without an air alert over Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion, Kyiv Independent reported.
The view of Putin’s parade 100 metres from the Russian border
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...in Narva, Estonia-Russia border
One hundred metres across the river sits the Russian city of Ivangorod.
Authorities there have set up two big screens and a stage to blast coverage of Vladimir Putin’s military parade into Estonia.
To my amusement, as the Russian president’s speech and the Gosudarstvennyy gimn Rossiyskoy Federatsii (national anthem) was broadcast, I could count the total crowd amassed to watch on my two hands.
There were probably more watching from the Estonian side of the Narva River, in the city of the same name, where 96 per cent of its residents are Russian speakers.
I took a stroll along the “Friendship” bridge border crossing, reaching about 30 metres from Russia (the closest I’ll get as a journalist sanctioned by Moscow).
The Estonian border guard escorting me across the now closed road joked that Russians hadn’t turned up to watch the celebration because they didn’t want to see the banner hung from the side of Narva Castle.
In protest, the curators of the museum inside the 13th century fortress unveiled a picture of Putin with the words “war criminal” below.
One can only imagine what the Russian soldiers wandering the river’s banks were thinking when looking across the frontier.
North Korean troops marched at Victory Day parade for the first time
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North Korean troops took part in Russia’s Victory Day parade for the first time in history.
Servicemen from North Korea marched across Red Square in a tribute to the soldiers sent to fight alongside the Kremlin’s forces in Russia’s Kursk region.
A commentator said that the soldiers had made a “significant contribution” during the battles against what he described as “neo-Nazi invaders” and said they had demonstrated “mass heroism, selflessness and courage”.
More than 6,000 North Korean soldiers are believed to have been killed in the fighting.
Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, yesterday reiterated their commitment to a mutual defence treaty signed in 2024.
Russia touts cutting-edge military tech used in Ukraine
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Instead of real displays of military hardware, viewers of this year’s Victory Day parade were shown a seven-minute compilation video of new battlefield technology.
Agentstvo, an exiled media outlet, has compiled a list of the technology shown in the clips:
- BMPT “Terminator” support tanks
- Hyacinth-K and Malva artillery systems
- Tornado-S and Uragan multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS)
- BMD-4M amphibious airborne combat vehicles
- Molniya-2, Geran-2 and Geran-5 drones
- The ZALA reconnaissance complex
- Lancet loitering munitions
- The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile
- A Su-57 fifth-generation stealth fighter
- The Voronezh-DM radar station
- S-250 Vityaz air defence missile system
- Admiral Gorshkov frigate
- Yars missile systems
Pictued: Foreign leaders lay flowers at Moscow military memorial
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Fico: Support of Moscow makes me a ‘black sheep’ in Europe
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Robert Fico, the Slovak prime minister, described himself as a “black sheep” in the European Union for his decision to visit the Russian capital to mark Victory Day.
Mr Fico did not attend the parade on Red Square but flew to Moscow for bilateral talks with Vladimir Putin.
“There are always some black sheep in the European Union. So I belong to that flock,” he told local news sites.
Mr Fico has been a vocal critic of the EU’s support for Kyiv in the war and has described Putin as “wrongly demonised” by the West.
Pictured: Russia holds Victory Day celebrations in occupied Donetsk
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Videos of drones and nuclear weapons screened at Moscow parade
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Spectators and dignitaries at the Victory Day parade were shown videos of the “latest Russian technology”, including drones and nuclear submarines.
Footage was also screened of Russia’s Peresvet mobile high-energy laser system, which is used for strategic defence.
TV viewers were also shown a compilation of clips of Russian soldiers taking part in combat missions in Ukraine after Vladimir Putin’s speech.
For the first time in almost two decades, there were no tanks, missiles or other heavy weapons on display.
Internet outages reported in central Moscow
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Mobile internet was completely unavailable in Moscow from this morning, according to reports from local outlets.
The outage included websites on the government-approved “white list” of services that can usually be accessed even during regional shutdowns and blackouts.
Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development, Communications, and Mass Media had previously warned of restrictions to mobile internet and SMS services on the day of the parade.
Meanwhile, mobile network operators told customers this week that they could expect significant disruptions between Tuesday and Saturday due to security concerns.
Authorities in half of Russia’s regions have announced similar outages.
Pictured: Servicemen in formation for Victory Day parade
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Ukraine war veteran flanked Putin for the first time
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A veteran of the war in Ukraine was seated next to Vladimir Putin at the Victory Day parade for the first time, the exiled media outlet Agentstvo has reported.
To the Russian president’s left on the reviewing stand was Leonid Ryzhov, who commanded a motorised rifle brigade which fought in Ukraine’s mostly occupied Luhansk region in the early months of the full-scale invasion.
Putin was also flanked by Svet Turonov, a Soviet World War II veteran, and Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian president, alongside his son Nikolai Lukashenko.
Putin’s speech lasted less than 10 minutes
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Vladimir Putin’s speech at the Victory Day parade lasted less than 10 minutes.
The Russian president revisited a number of familiar themes, commemorating the “huge losses” of the Soviet Union in its victory over Nazi Germany while saying those “huge sacrifices” inspire today’s servicemen in Ukraine.
He extensively praised Moscow’s invading forces, saying that they “face an aggressive force that is armed and supported by the entire bloc of Nato”.
“The key to success is our moral strength, courage and valour, our unity and ability to endure anything and overcome any challenge,” he added.
Shortly after the speech, the Russian president was filmed laying flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow’s Alexander Garden, alongside foreign leaders.
The memorial hosts an eternal flame and the inscription “your name is unknown, your deeds immortal”.
There were no attempts to disrupt Victory Day celebrations, Kremlin says
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There were no attempts to disrupt the Victory Day parade today in Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
There had been suggestions that Ukraine could mount an attack on the parade. Russian state media on Saturday praised the few foreign leaders who attended the celebrations for “braving [Volodymyr] Zelensky’s threats”.
The Ukrainian president said yesterday that Kyiv would “permit” Moscow to hold the parade after a three-day truce was brokered by Washington.
Ukrainian officials mocked Moscow for its repeated demands for a Victory Day ceasefire, with Mr Zelensky saying it was a sign that “Russia’s defence ministry believes it cannot hold a parade in Moscow without Ukraine’s goodwill”.
Mr Peskov said that there are no plans to extend the ceasefire, but that the Kremlin is ready to host a US delegation for further talks on reaching a settlement in Ukraine.
Fighter jets take to the sky over Moscow
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The Victory Day parade concluded with a flyover by fighter planes, which sent the white, blue and red of the Russian flag streaking across the sky.
According to Russian state media, Su-30 and MiG-29 fighter jets took to the sky for a brief display, before six Su-25 attack aircraft painted the horizon with patriotic colours.
Days before, a preview of the performance had been carried out over Moscow as news broke that most other military kit would be excluded from the symbolic procession.
Putin: ‘Victory has always been and always will be ours’
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“Victory has always been and always will be ours,” Vladimir Putin announced in a bombastic speech at the Victory Day parade in Moscow.
“The great feat of the victorious generation inspires the soldiers of the SVO [Russia’s euphemism for the war in Ukraine],” the Russian president said.
He claimed that Russian forces are confronting an enemy “supported by the entire Nato bloc”, but touted gains on the front line, despite Moscow’s sluggish progress.
“Victory in the SVO is forged both on the battlefield and in the rear,” he added. “Our cause is just.”
“Victory has always been and always will be ours.”
‘No plans’ to extend ceasefire, Kremlin says
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As Vladimir Putin begins speaking at the parade, the Kremlin has announced that there are “no plans” to extend the ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
It contradicts earlier statements by Donald Trump, the US president, that the three-day truce could see an extension.
“There are no such plans at the moment,” Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, told reporters.
Parade kicks off
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The Victory Day parade has kicked off in familiar fashion in Moscow, though it is noticeably more modest than in previous years.
Soldiers march in lockstep to the soundtrack of a brass orchestra, North Korean servicemen are seen standing in formation, and troops shout a full-throated chant of “Ura!”
The defence ministry had previously confirmed that the parade would feature a column of troops from military academies and the armed forces.
However, this year no military hardware is set to roll past Lenin’s tomb amid what Russian officials have described as a “terrorist threat” from Kyiv.
What is the Victory Day parade?
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Victory Day is Russia’s most cherished secular holiday, marked each year with martial pageantry and ostentatious displays of military might.
It commemorates the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany and honours the roughly 27 million Soviet citizens who were killed - among them millions of Ukrainians.
The scale of that sacrifice left a deep imprint on the Russian national consciousness, and Victory Day has since become a cornerstone of the country’s identity, reinforced through official narratives casting Russia as Europe’s liberator.
In recent years, since the full-scale war, the Kremlin has harnessed this symbolism to advance its claim that Russia is once again embroiled in a historic struggle against Nazism in Europe.
Putin has characterised Ukraine as a “neo-Nazi regime” to justify his invasion.
Last year’s parade, marking the 80th anniversary, saw a display of almost 200 military vehicles and some 11,000 servicemen.
Both modern and historic military hardware traditionally play a role. Neither will be displayed this morning.
Putin arrives for parade
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Vladimir Putin has just arrived at the parade, taking his seat alongside Alexander Lukashenko and other world leaders.
The parade is set to begin shortly.
Victory Day celebrations held across Russia
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Victory Day parades have already been held in several regions across Russia.
Russian state media this morning released videos and photos of celebrations held in Novosibirsk, Vladivostok and Kemerovo, a city in southwest Siberia.
The festivities were previously cancelled in 27 Russian cities.
Who will attend Moscow’s Victory Day parade?
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Victory Day parades in the capital have traditionally drawn a heavy contingent of foreign dignitaries. Last year, China’s Xi Jinping attended as guest of honour alongside dozens of other international leaders.
Their presence helps to serve Putin’s broader effort to cast Russia as the standard-bearer of an alternative world order challenging American hegemony.
This year, however, in keeping with the pared-back format, the invite list is more modest.
Among those expected on the square are Alexander Lukashenko, one of the Kremlin’s closest allies, Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar and Thongloun Sisoulith, the president of Laos.
Robert Fico, the Slovak prime minister and an EU member, said he would travel to Moscow for bilateral talks with Putin but would not attend the parade itself.
In a significant volte-face, Nikol Pashinyan, the prime minister of Armenia - a historic Russian ally whose ties with Moscow have frayed in recent years - declined to attend after hosting Volodymyr Zelensky in Yerevan, prompting a sharp rebuke from the Kremlin.
Meanwhile, most international journalists were informed at the last minute that they would no longer be permitted to attend.
Kim Jong-un congratulates Putin on Victory Day
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Kim Jong-un has issued congratulations to Vladimir Putin ahead of Victory Day celebrations, according to Russian state media.
“On behalf of the government and people of the DPRK, I send you and the leadership of Russia, and all the fraternal people of Russia, my most sincere congratulations on the 81st anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War,” the North Korean dictator said in a message carried by state outlets.
He added that he took pride in Pyongyang’s growing partnership with Moscow and hailed what he described as a new era of “independence and dignity, peace and prosperity, in line with the shared ideal and aspirations of the peoples of both countries.”
Kim is not set to attend the parade.