![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1778331381_111_2017-06-08T131939Z_1189275883_RC11B0FE7F20_RTRMADP_3_GULF-QATAR-JAZEERA-1714943623.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nPublished On 9 May 20269 May 2026<\/p>\n
Russia has held its annual Victory Day military parade in Moscow to mark the defeat of Nazi Germany during the second world war.<\/p>\n
The parade, scaled back this year due to security concerns, started at about 10am (07:00 GMT) in Red Square, with a military formation bearing the Russian flag.<\/p>\n
Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list<\/p>\n
Security was tight as President Vladimir Putin spoke at the event, viewed as Russia\u2019s most significant secular holiday.<\/p>\n
\u201cVictory has always been and will be ours,\u201d said Putin, as columns of troops lined up on the square. \u201cThe key to success is our moral strength, courage and valour, our unity and ability to endure anything and overcome any challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n
Putin, in power for more than a quarter-century, has regularly used Victory Day to showcase the country\u2019s military might and rally support for his war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year. But this year, for the first time in nearly 20 years, the parade took place without tanks<\/a>, missiles and other heavy weapons, aside from a traditional flyover of combat jets.<\/p>\n Instead, the 45-minute parade showed a video of Russian military equipment deployed to Ukraine, said Al Jazeera\u2019s Yulia Shapovalova, reporting from Moscow. She said there is an understanding that \u201ctanks are needed at the [military] front, not at the parade\u201d.<\/p>\n Officials said the event\u2019s change of format was due to the \u201ccurrent operational situation\u201d and pointed to the threat of Ukrainian attacks. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the authorities have taken \u201cadditional security measures\u201d.<\/p>\n