Vladimir Putin‘s speech, delivered shortly after 10 a.m., lasted just 10 minutes. He addressed the Russian troops and leaders from around twenty countries gathered today in Moscow’s Red Square to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany—an anniversary that is being celebrated for the fourth consecutive year under the shadow of the conflict in Ukraine.

“In Russia, Victory Day is celebrated as the most important holiday,” said Putin, among other remarks, emphasizing that his country remembers the lessons of World War II and will never agree to a distortion of its events. The Russian president asked the gathered crowd to observe a minute of silence in memory of those who died in the “Great Patriotic War,” with the guests in the stands rising from their seats to show their respect.

Putin also referred in his speech to the “special military operation” in Ukraine, stating that the entire nation supports the troops. “Truth and justice are on our side. The whole country, society, and the people support the soldiers who are participating. We are proud of their courage and determination—for that strength of spirit that has always brought us victory,” Putin noted.

Following the Russian president’s speech, the grand military parade began beneath the Kremlin walls, watched by the presidents of China, Xi Jinping, and Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, as well as leaders of Russia’s allied countries such as Kazakhstan, Belarus, Vietnam, Armenia, Cuba, and Venezuela.

Despite the isolation policy promoted by the West, the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico—defying the appeals of the European Union—and the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, are also present, along with the president of the Serbs of Bosnia, Milorad Dodik, who is wanted by Bosnian justice.

Soldiers from 13 other countries are participating in the grand parade in Red Square, including troops from China, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Egypt.

Accusations of Ceasefire Violations

The Russian president ordered a ceasefire from May 8 to May 10 to coincide with the Victory Day celebrations on May 9. However, Ukraine—facing a large-scale Russian assault since 2022—accused its enemy on Thursday of launching attacks along the entire front line, reporting hundreds of ceasefire violations.

Early this morning, local authorities in the regions of Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk announced that two men, aged 60 and 83, were injured by strikes from Russian unmanned aerial vehicles. Russian forces insisted they were “strictly observing” the ceasefire, claiming they were merely “responding” to Ukrainian violations.

On Thursday evening, U.S. President Donald Trump called on both warring sides to agree to an “unconditional ceasefire” for 30 days.

World War II, which claimed the lives of more than 20 million people in the USSR and demanded immense sacrifices from the population, left a deep trauma that is still felt within society and has fueled a patriotism that President Putin exploits.

Shortly after the start of the offensive against Ukraine in February 2022, Russian authorities banned any criticism of the armed forces, intensifying a crackdown that has sent hundreds of people to prison and driven thousands into exile.

On Thursday, during their meeting at the Kremlin, Putin and Xi expressed their alignment in opposition to what they see as a “hegemonic” West.

China is accused of helping Russia bypass Western sanctions and even of supplying it with weapons, as claimed by Kyiv—an allegation denied by Beijing.

Authorities in various Russian regions, including those in Krasnodar in the southwest, canceled their local parades this year out of fear of potential Ukrainian attacks.

The parade in Moscow, however, continues to draw large crowds each year, often entire families.