Last year, powerful men like China’s President Xi stood next to Putin at the military parade in Moscow – this year only Belarus’ ruler Lukashenko (left) was there. (May 9, 2026)Image: keystone
analysis
In recent years, the Kremlin has used Victory Day over the Nazis to showcase its power. But Saturday’s modest parade shows that after four years of war, Vladimir Putin hardly has a vision for the future.
May 9, 2026, 10:24 p.mMay 9, 2026, 10:24 p.m
Ivan Ruslyannikov / ch media
For a long time, Victory Day remained a “holiday with tears in the eyes” for modern Russians, as the Soviet singer Iosif Kobzon once sang. In large cities and small villages, people visited veterans and brought them gifts. It was a day when the younger generation paid respect to the older ones – as a thank you for their sacrifices and willingness to sacrifice themselves in the fight against Nazi Germany. But since Vladimir Putin came to power, that has been over.
Because Russia’s ruler has turned May 9th into his personal holiday. He uses it for foreign policy PR purposes and as a propaganda vehicle. For years, the Red Square parade served to demonstrate Russia’s military strength and geopolitical influence. But this year of all years, Putin’s most important demonstration of power seemed weaker than it had been for a long time.
Much more modest than in previous years
This Saturday, the Russians sat in front of their television screens and watched as only twelve parade units of soldiers marched across Red Square – almost three times fewer than at the last regular victory parade in 2024. Heavy military technology was also largely absent.
It was always the highlight of the military parade on May 9th. This time, however, the Kremlin only presented viewers with a nearly seven-minute video featuring military technology. This is probably the greatest humiliation for Vladimir Putin in front of his voters: He is forced to show them no longer real equipment that would give confidence in victory in the war against Ukraine, but a video clip produced by the press service of the Ministry of Defense.
The reason for this is that Putin no longer has the same resources as before – and no longer has the same international reputation. The only people sitting next to Putin in the stands were the presidents of Belarus, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan – Russia’s closest neighbors, who had obviously received an offer that could not be refused. Important guests of global political importance such as China’s President Xi, who came last year, were missing this time.
In addition, it was no longer just Russian soldiers who marched. Also represented were members of a North Korean contingent supporting Russia in the war against Ukraine. However, what was also significant here was who was missing: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un decided not to travel to Moscow and preferred to stay in Pyongyang.
A picture that says a lot
The circle around Putin is also becoming narrower: in the past, former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu took a place of honor in the stands next to the Russian President. According to reports from Telegram channels, the disgraced ex-minister was present at the event, but sat alone for a long time until presidential advisor Nikolai Patrushev finally sat down next to him.
A photo of Shoigu sitting in front of a metal barrier, symbolizes his current situation perfectly: Almost all of Shoigu’s former deputies are behind bars on corruption charges, and there are rumors that the fallen former minister is preparing a conspiracy against Vladimir Putin. Be that as it may, Putin apparently can’t and doesn’t want to share this holiday with him anymore.
Image: screenshot telegram
Unsurprisingly, such a military parade caused a rather depressed mood within the patriotic Z community. “This is already bordering on absurdity and tragicomedy. “Magically, the whole of Russia has shrunk to dimensions that look suspiciously like the outline of Moscow.”wrote the Telegram channel “Oswedomitel”. «Let’s just hold on! There’s nothing wrong with the fact that there are now explosion after explosion in more and more cities. The main thing is that the foreign partners remain satisfied in the end after seeing how quickly we can slide downwards,” wrote military blogger Sergei Orthodox.
Hardly any hope for a better future
After the military parade, Vladimir Putin met with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, who has the ambition to take over the Russia-friendly role of the elected Hungarian Prime Minister Orban within the EU. Putin told him: “Everything happened with dignity, calmly and without excessive militarization.”
Considering that militarization can never be “excessive” for Putin, the Russian president himself seems to realize that this year’s pompous holiday apparently only existed in his own head.
More than four years after the start of the war against Ukraine, drone attacks are now taking place with great regularity deep inside Russia. Was this really how Putin envisioned his victory? It seems as if the Russian president cannot present a convincing vision for Russia’s future to either his own voters or the international community.