In fear of Ukrainian drone attacks, the traditional Victory Day military parade in Moscow will take place without tanks and missiles this year. The demonstration of military technology on May 9 will not take place due to the “operational situation”, the Ministry of Defense in the Russian capital announced.

Instead, the deployment of Russian soldiers from all branches of the armed forces will be shown during the television broadcast of the parade – including in the war against Ukraine and in the command posts of the nuclear forces. Thousands of officer cadets will continue to march past on Red Square.

In recent months, the Ukrainian army has expanded its counterattacks with combat drones into the Russian hinterland in order to repel Moscow’s invasion.

Russia traditionally celebrates the victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War in 1945 on 9 May. The military parade in front of President Vladimir Putin on Red Square also served to demonstrate Russia’s power with intercontinental ballistic missiles and modern tanks. However, the amount of military technology on display has also fluctuated in previous years. The last time no technology was demonstrated was in 2007.

Another commemorative event is the so-called Immortal Regiment, in which Russians wear portraits of relatives who were killed in the war. This year, depending on the security situation, the action will take place regionally as an actual march or online.

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