Russia indicated on Wednesday that it will not deploy military equipment for the May 9 parade on Red Square in Moscow, which each year commemorates the capitulation of Nazi Germany at the end of the Second World War in 1945. The Kremlin justified these measures by citing the "terrorist threat" posed by Ukraine.

Published on: 04/29/2026 - 4:48 p.m. Modified on: 04/29/2026 - 4:49 p.m.

No military pomp on Red Square this year. Russia indicated on Wednesday April 29 that it would not deploy military equipment for the traditional May 9 parade in Moscow due, according to the Kremlin, to the "terrorist threat" posed by Ukraine.

Ukraine, which is trying to repel the offensive against its territory launched by Russia in February 2022, had sought in 2025 to disrupt the May 9 parade with drone attacks targeting Moscow in the preceding days.

May 9, which in Russia marks the capitulation of Nazi Germany at the end of the Second World War in 1945, is commemorated each year with major demonstrations of force across the country.

This year, several military schools, cadet corps "as well as the column of military equipment will not participate in the military parade (...) due to the current operational situation", announced the Ministry of Defense on Tuesday evening on Telegram.

The parade is expected to include representatives from all branches of the armed forces and videos showing soldiers "performing tasks in the military special operation zone", a reference to the war in Ukraine, will be broadcast, he said.

“The kyiv regime, which is losing ground on the battlefield every day, is now resorting to terrorist activities,” said Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov during his daily briefing on Wednesday. “Therefore, against the backdrop of this terrorist threat, all measures are being taken to minimize the danger,” he said.

The threat from kyiv with its drones and missiles

Moscow, whose troops have made little progress on the front line since the end of 2022 and are paying a high human cost, often describes Ukrainian strikes on its territory, which kyiv claims to be a legitimate response to the Russian offensive, as “terrorist”.

A pro-Kremlin military blogger, Alexander Sladkov, said the decision was "logical, given the circumstances." The parade "could very well not have taken place at all due to the terrorist threat," said another Russian war correspondent, Alexander Kots.

Entering its fifth year, the Russian offensive in Ukraine mobilizes significant military resources. kyiv responds by targeting Russian territory ever deeper with its drones and missiles.

Also read: Drones, the sinews of war?

Last year, in the days leading up to the parade, Ukraine increased drone strikes in Russia, targeting Moscow in particular and causing the delay or cancellation of hundreds of flights.

Russia says it wants to “denazify” Ukraine

Around twenty foreign leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, attended the commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in 2025 in the Russian capital, which gave rise to a particularly important parade.

Read alsoPutin celebrates May 9 with great fanfare, alongside his allies and partners

Some 11,000 soldiers, T-90 tanks, Iskander missiles and drones – a first – took part in the parade. The imposing Yars intercontinental ballistic missile was also exhibited.

The Second World War, which left more than 20 million dead in the USSR and required incredible sacrifices from the population, caused a trauma which nourished the patriotism exploited by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Vladimir Putin regularly invokes the memory of the victory over Nazi Germany to defend the offensive against Ukraine, which Russia claims to want to "denazify".

Diplomatic efforts to end this conflict, the deadliest in Europe since World War II, have stalled.

With AFP

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