At the annual military parade on May 9th, Russia celebrates the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany.Image: AP
04/29/2026, 09:0904/29/2026, 09:09
Due to fears of Ukrainian drone attacks, the traditional Victory Day military parade in Moscow will take place this year without tanks and missiles. The defense ministry in the Russian capital announced that the demonstration of military technology on May 9th was canceled due to the “operational situation”.
What will be missing this year – the tanks and missiles of the Russian armed forces.Image: EPA
Instead, the deployment of Russian soldiers from all branches of the armed forces should be shown during the television broadcast of the parade – including in the war against Ukraine and in the command posts of the nuclear forces. Thousands of officer candidates march past Red Square.
In repelling the Moscow invasion, the Ukrainian army has expanded its counterattacks with combat drones into the Russian hinterland in recent months.
Only the soldiers will swing their legs across Red Square this year.Image: keystone
Demonstration of Moscow’s military might
Russia traditionally celebrates the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II in 1945 on May 9th. The military parade in front of President Vladimir Putin on Red Square also served to demonstrate Russia’s power with intercontinental ballistic missiles and modern tanks. However, the extent of military technology on display also fluctuated in earlier years. The last time any technology was demonstrated was in 2007.
Even in the Soviet Union, the regime used the victory parade as an opportunity to showcase its own military effectiveness.Image: AP
Another commemorative event is the so-called Immortal Regiment, in which Russians carry portraits of relatives who were killed in the war. This year, the campaign will take place regionally as a real march or online, depending on the security situation. (nil/sda/dpa)