Russia celebrates 80th anniversary of defeating Nazi Germany with Victory Day parade

In Moscow, Russia commemorated the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II with a grand military parade on Red Square. The event was graced by the presence of President Vladimir Putin and various world leaders, such as Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Celebrated on May 9, Victory Day holds significant importance in Russia as it is the most crucial secular holiday in the country. The parade on Red Square and other ceremonies serve as a platform for Moscow to showcase its global influence, solidify alliances, and seek a balance of power amid ongoing conflicts like the one in Ukraine.

World War II stands out as a unifying moment in Russia’s historical narrative, transcending political divides even under Communist rule. The Kremlin leverages the reverence for this event to foster national pride and assert Russia’s standing as a major player on the global stage.

The Soviet Union lost a staggering 27 million people in what it calls the Great Patriotic War in 1941-45, an enormous sacrifice that left a deep scar in the national psyche.

Festivities this year were overshadowed by Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Moscow and severe disruptions at the capital’s airports.

Russian flag carrier Aeroflot on Wednesday morning canceled more than 100 flights to and from Moscow, and delayed over 140 others as the military were repelling repeated Ukrainian drone attacks on the capital.

Russian authorities have tightened security ahead of the parade and cellphone internet outages have been reported amid electronic countermeasures aimed at foiling more potential drone attacks.

Putin has declared a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire starting Wednesday to coincide with the Victory Day celebrations. Moscow has been reluctant to accept a U.S.-proposed 30-day truce that Ukraine has accepted, linking it to a halt in Western arms supplies to Ukraine and Kyiv’s mobilization effort, conditions Ukraine and its Western allies have rejected.