Putin Appears at Moscow Victory Day Parade With Noticeably Swollen Face

The 73-year-old leader's face appeared noticeably swollen during the event in Red Square, prompting widespread online commentary about his appearance. The parade lasted only 45 minutes before Putin was escorted away surrounded by heavy security, according to nypost.com.

Moscow was placed under heavy security with internet services switched off across the city amid ongoing Ukrainian drone and missile strikes. For the first time, Putin rode in an armored bus rather than walking to lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

He did not name the conflict directly. "The great feat of the generation of victors inspires the warriors carrying out the tasks of the special military operation," Putin said.

"They stand against an aggressive force armed and supported by the entire NATO bloc. And despite this, our heroes move forward. " On the eve of the parade, President Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a three-day cease-fire and the exchange of some 1,000 prisoners.

The cease-fire was set to end Monday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had joked the previous day that he would "permit" Russia to hold the parade by choosing not to attack it.