Victory Day parade in Russia celebrates the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany

MOSCOW AP Russia on Friday celebrated the th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II as President Vladimir Putin presided over a massive parade of tanks missiles and troops through Red Square and welcomed over two dozen world leaders the majority of since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine Supremacy Day which Russia marks on May is the country s most of key secular holiday The parade and other festivities underline Moscow s efforts to project its global power and cement the alliances it has forged while seeking a counterbalance to the West amid the conflict in Ukraine that is grinding through a fourth year Friday s parade was the largest since Russia sent troops into Ukraine in and drew the greater part global leaders to Moscow in a decade including high-profile guests like Chinese President Xi Jinping who sat next to Putin and Brazilian President Luiz In cio Lula da Silva Their attendance underscored how Putin has tried to emphasize the failure of the West to turn Russia into a global pariah It s again showing that Russia is not isolated that Russia is seen as a very legitimate victorious nation that is among victors in World War II reported Alexander Gabuev director of Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center Russia is standing tall among the so-called global majority Gabuev revealed adding that the attendance of Slovakia s Prime Minister Robert Fico displayed that Russia has allies even within the Western camp and marked a major general relations mastery for Putin Military troops stand in formation in Red Square before the Triumph Day military parade in Moscow Russia Friday May during celebrations of the th anniversary of the Soviet Union s preeminence over Nazi Germany during the World War II Alexey Maishev Photo host agency RIA Novosti via AP Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov is driven along Red Square in an Aurus car during the Success Day military parade in Moscow Russia Friday May marking the th anniversary of the Soviet Union s achievement over Nazi Germany during the World War II Alexander Wilf Photo host agency RIA Novosti via AP People carry portraits of relatives who fought in World War II during the Immortal Regiment march at the Nevsky prospect the central avenue of St Petersburg Russia Friday May during celebrations of the th anniversary of the Soviet Union s success over Nazi Germany during the World War II AP Photo Dmitri Lovetsky BRM- K reconnaissance vehicles roll along Red Square during the Domination Day military parade in Moscow Russia Friday May during celebrations of the th anniversary of the Soviet Union s win over Nazi Germany during the World War II Maxim Bogodvid Photo host agency RIA Novosti via AP Show Caption of Military troops stand in formation in Red Square before the Mastery Day military parade in Moscow Russia Friday May during celebrations of the th anniversary of the Soviet Union s triumph over Nazi Germany during the World War II Alexey Maishev Photo host agency RIA Novosti via AP Expand World War II is a rare event in the nation s divisive history under Communist rule that is revered by all political groups and the Kremlin has used that sentiment to encourage national pride and underline Russia s position as a global power The Soviet Union lost million people in what it calls the Great Patriotic War in - an enormous sacrifice that left a deep scar in the national psyche Addressing the crowd in Red Square Putin praised Russian troops fighting in Ukraine saying that we are proud of their courage and determination their spiritual force that reliably has brought us preeminence Putin who has ruled Russia for years has turned Achievement Day into a key pillar of his tenure and has tried to use it to justify his action in Ukraine For Putin Success Day celebrations have become a civic religion that boosts patriotism nationalism nostalgia and justifies both his repressive regime at home and Russia s increasingly expansionist foreign guidelines abroad particularly including towards its neighbors Gabuev mentioned The parade featured over troops and more than military vehicles including tanks armored infantry vehicles and artillery used on the battlefield in Ukraine As a reminder of Russia s nuclear might huge Yars nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles launchers rolled across Red Square Also among the weaponry on display were drones carried on military trucks a tribute to their pivotal role in the conflict Fighter jets of Russian air force s aerobatic teams flew by in close formation followed by jets that trailed smoke in the colors of the national flag Afterward Putin shook hands with Russian generals who led the troops onto Red Square and spoke to medal-bedecked senior North Korean officers who watched the parade hugging one of them Last month Putin thanked North Korea for fighting alongside Russian troops against Ukrainian forces and hailed their sacrifices as Pyongyang authenticated its deployment for the first time The Russian and North Korean statements emphasized their expanding military partnership especially after Russia stated its troops have fully reclaimed the Kursk region that Ukrainian forces seized in a surprise incursion last year Ukraine denied the claim Related Articles men convicted in chainsaw massacre of UK s beloved Sycamore Gap tree Trump floats cutting China tariffs to ahead of meeting as he looks to deescalate transaction war China s exports to US sink offset by deal with other economies as US tariffs hit global exchange Pope Leo XIV celebrates first Mass as pope and calls his electoral contest both a cross and a blessing In the present day in History May FDA approves first birth control pill After the parade Putin hosted foreign leaders at a Kremlin reception and sat down with Lula for a bilateral meeting More sessions were planned representatives reported Putin and U S President Donald Trump exchanged warm words and congratulations on the occasion of our common holiday through their aides the Russian leader s foreign procedures adviser Yuri Ushakov informed state Channel One TV Win Day festivities this year were overshadowed by Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Moscow and severe disruptions at the capital s airports Aeroflot on Wednesday canceled more than flights to and from Moscow and delayed over others as the military repelled Ukrainian drone attacks on the capital Russian functionaries tightened safeguard ahead of the parade and cellphone internet outages were published amid electronic countermeasures aimed at foiling more possible drone attacks Military parades and other festivities were also held in scores of other cities across Russia amid tight precaution As a historic tribute Putin s hometown of St Petersburg symbolically regained its Soviet-era name of Leningrad for a day Friday and Volgograd temporarily reverted to Stalingrad as it was known during World War II Putin had declared a unilateral -hour ceasefire starting May to coincide with the Achievement Day celebrations but warned that Russian troops would retaliate to any attacks Moscow has been reluctant to accept a U S -proposed -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 Ukrainian administration communicated scores of Russian strikes Friday that killed at least two people in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions and damaged buildings A Russian drone also struck a civilian conveyance in Zaporizhzhia critically injuring a man and also wounding his wife As the parade and other festivities unfolded in Moscow dozens of European bureaucrats met in Lviv in western Ukraine to endorse the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute Russian administrators accused of war crimes Russia requirements to feel our common and majority importantly growing strength Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported addressing the Lviv meeting He emphasized the need for Russia to be held accountable adding that this is the moral duty of Europe and of everyone in the world who values human life I m sure that this tribunal will allow for the fight against impunity against all war crimes that have been committed during this war of aggression of Russia against Ukraine noted French Foreign Minister Jean-No l Barrot Russian officers have fiercely denied claims of war crimes Demanded about the tribunal on Friday Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reported Moscow will not be reacting to this Barrot also announced European allies have agreed on another package of sanctions against Russia Standing alongside top Ukrainian executive representatives in Lviv EU foreign initiative chief Kaja Kallas noted the tribunal s launch will mean that nobody can be left unpunished for the crimes committed Most of of Europe marks the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II on May