Putin Speaks at Moscow Victory Day Parade

Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced confidence of victory in Ukraine on Saturday as he oversaw a scaled-down military parade on Red Square marking the 81st anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. The parade featured no tanks, missiles or other heavy equipment for the first time since 2008, aside from a flyover by combat jets.

Officials attributed the change to the "current operational situation" and said extra security measures were in place amid fears of Ukrainian drone strikes. " He added that "Victory has always been and will be ours" and credited moral strength, courage and unity for success.

The Russian leader has used Victory Day for more than 25 years to rally support for the military operation in Ukraine, now in its fifth year. The event occurred as a three-day ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Trump ran from Saturday through Monday, accompanied by a planned exchange of prisoners.

Trump said Friday the pause could mark the "beginning of the end" of the war.

“We don't need anyone's permission to be proud of our Victory Day.”

For the first time, troops from North Korea marched in the parade, honoring Pyongyang's deployment of soldiers to help repel a Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk region. State television commentators noted that heavy weaponry was better deployed on the battlefield in Ukraine than in Moscow. Smaller parades across the country were pared down or canceled for security reasons.

Russia had declared a unilateral ceasefire for Friday and Saturday while Zelensky announced a truce due to begin May 6, yet neither side fully observed the pauses as each traded blame for continued attacks. Putin warned that any Ukrainian attempt to disrupt the Victory Day events would trigger a massive missile strike on central Kyiv.

The Russian Defense Ministry urged civilians and foreign diplomats there to leave the city promptly. The EU said its diplomats would remain in the Ukrainian capital despite the threats. Russia's larger military has made slow but steady territorial gains along the more than 1,000-kilometer front line.

Ukraine has responded with long-range drone and missile strikes on Russian energy facilities, factories and depots, demonstrating capabilities that now reach more than 600 miles inside Russia. Authorities in Moscow restricted all mobile internet and text messaging services Saturday, citing public safety needs amid tightened internet controls that have sparked occasional public discontent.

Several foreign leaders attended the Moscow festivities, including Malaysia's King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, Laos President Thongloun Sisoulith and Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko. Prime Minister Robert Fico of Slovakia laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier but did not join the Red Square parade.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized Fico's visit to Moscow, saying he regretted it and that they would discuss the trip. During a Kremlin meeting, Putin praised Fico for pursuing a "sovereign" foreign policy and honoring fallen Red Army soldiers.

Fico spoke of a new "Iron Curtain" in Europe that hindered trade and stressed the importance of Russian energy supplies to Slovakia. Putin used the occasion to emphasize national pride and Russia's global standing. He recalled the Soviet Union's loss of 27 million people in what it calls the Great Patriotic War, describing the sacrifice as a source of consensus in Russian history.

"We celebrate it with feelings of pride and love for our country, with understanding of our shared duty to defend the interests and future of our Motherland," he said. The parade format had included a wide array of heavy weapons every year since 2008 until this notable shift.

“Victory has always been and will be ours. The key to success is our moral strength, courage and valor, our unity and ability to endure anything and overcome any challenge.”