Amid Ukraine’s daring assaults, Russia scales back Victory Day celebrations
Key takeaways
- An important date in the Russian calendar, May 9 will be a slimmed-down affair with less military showcasing.
- The anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II is usually commemorated with a grand military parade outside the Kremlin, on Moscow’s Red Square.
- “For modern Russia, it’s the main holiday of the year,” said Oleg Ignatov, senior Russia analyst at Crisis Group. “There are two main holidays in Russia, the ninth of May and the New Year.
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An important date in the Russian calendar, May 9 will be a slimmed-down affair with less military showcasing.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Russian service members stand in columns before a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade, marking the anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, in central Moscow, Russia, on April 29, 2026 [Ramil Sitdikov/Reuters]By Niko Vorobyov Published On 8 May 20268 May 2026May 9 is a venerated date on the Russian calendar. The anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II is usually commemorated with a grand military parade outside the Kremlin, on Moscow’s Red Square.
“For modern Russia, it’s the main holiday of the year,” said Oleg Ignatov, senior Russia analyst at Crisis Group. “There are two main holidays in Russia, the ninth of May and the New Year. And if you asked Russians, what is the main holiday, I think they would answer you that it’s the ninth of May.”