Russia's Victory Day: Putin Pledges War on ‘Russophobia and Nazism', With Xi by His Side

President Vladimir Putin marked Russia’s Victory Day with a large military parade in Moscow’s Red Square, held under tight security following recent Ukrainian attacks on the capital. Standing prominently beside Chinese President Xi Jinping, his guest of honour, Putin watched thousands of Russian troops parade across Red Square in a display meant to underscore Moscow’s global alliances.

The May 9 event commemorates 80 years since the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, remains a cornerstone of Russia's national pride—and a stage for Putin to signal that the country is not isolated despite mounting Western pressure.

Putin also used his speech to link the WW II with its recent full-scale war with Ukraine and said that all of Russia was behind what he called the "special military operation"--now well into its fourth year.

Putin said Russia would never accept attempts to belittle the Soviet Union's decisive role in defeating Nazi Germany, but that Moscow also recognised the part played by the Western allies in defeating Adolf Hitler. However, Putin made no criticism of the West and referred only in passing to the Ukraine war, Europe's deadliest since World War Two.

“Russia has been and will be an indestructible barrier to Nazism, Russophobia, antisemitism, and will fight against the atrocities that the proponents of these aggressive, destructive ideas,” he said. Notably, Russia has repeatedly accused Ukraine and Europe of reviving Nazism in Europe.

Even though the event has been a way of tribute to 25mn to 27mn Soviet soldiers and civilians who died during the war. But due to its ongoing conflict with Ukraine since 2022, Russia also used it as a show of strength. Hence, while celebrations were muted in the past three years, Russia has not held back this time. For the first time, Russia’s Victory Day parade featured a convoy of trucks showcasing a range of combat drones, reflecting their extensive deployment in the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Over 11,500 troops marched in formation on Moscow’s Red Square for the Victory Day parade, among them 1,500 veterans of the Ukraine conflict. In a first, Russia showcased combat drones—now a hallmark of modern warfare—alongside its traditional military hardware, including tanks and Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to carry nuclear warheads.