Why Russia has scaled back May 9 Victory Parade
Key takeaways
- This year's May 9 military parades in Moscow will be much more modest and have been canceled altogether in other parts of Russia.
- https://p.dw.com/p/5DROi This year, there will be no grand display of military vehicles on Red Square Image: Sergei Bobylev/TASS/dpa/picture alliance Advertisement.
- Russia's Ministry of Defense cited the "current operational situation" as the reason for the decision.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
This year's May 9 military parades in Moscow will be much more modest and have been canceled altogether in other parts of Russia. The Kremlin has blamed Ukraine.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DROi This year, there will be no grand display of military vehicles on Red Square Image: Sergei Bobylev/TASS/dpa/picture alliance Advertisement. The traditional Victory Day parade in the Russian capital Moscow on May 9, 2026 will be scaled back. It will not feature the usual display of military vehicles on Red Square, and no cadets from prestigious military academies will attend.
Russia's Ministry of Defense cited the "current operational situation" as the reason for the decision. Russian President Vladimir Putin's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, explained that no military hardware would be used in the celebrations because of the "terrorist threat" from Ukraine.