Humiliation for Putin as Russia holds military parade without tanks | World | News
Russian President Vladimir Putin was forced to interrupt his annual military parade on Saturday amid the war in Ukraine. On May 9, Victory Day, Putin spoke in front of hundreds of military personnel to celebrate the end of World War II and the defeat of Nazi Germany, which claimed the lives of 27 million Soviet citizens. But the massive parade, normally a display of Russia’s military equipment, was heavily curtailed this year and featured no armored vehicles or ballistic missiles in Red Square. This is the first time this has happened in nearly 20 years.
Russian officials have previously said heavy military equipment will not be displayed. “Our tanks are busy at the moment,” Russian MP Yevgeny Popov told the BBC earlier this week. “They are fighting. We need them on the battlefield more than in Red Square.” Instead, a series of pre-prepared videos reportedly coming from the Ukrainian front lines were broadcast on screens and broadcast on state media.
The Kiev Independent said the decision not to display any military equipment at this year’s parade was made largely because of the threat posed by Ukraine’s increasingly effective long-range drones. reports.
As ties between Moscow and Pyongyang strengthened, North Korean soldiers marched to Red Square for the first time. However, neither North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un nor Chinese President Xi Jinping appeared in Red Square during the parade held in Moscow in 2025.
Still, Putin tried to put on a brave face.
Addressing the crowd during the celebrations, he said: “The Nazis treacherously attacked the Soviet Union, planning to seize the country and its vast resources, completely destroy its culture and historical heritage, and finally destroy, enslave and commit genocide against the entire multinational Soviet people, that is, all peoples, nations and ethnic groups of the Soviet Union.”
He did not forget to condemn Ukraine and NATO.
He said: “The great achievement of the victorious generation inspires the soldiers carrying out special military operations missions today. They stand against an aggressive force armed and supported by the entire NATO bloc. But still our heroes march forward.”
Marches were also held in a number of other cities in Siberia, including Krasnoyarsk and St Petersburg, state media reported.
Other marches were canceled completely.
