MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that Russian forces fighting in Ukraine were confronting an “aggressive force” backed by the entire NATO alliance, describing Moscow’s war objectives as “just” during his address at Russia’s annual Victory Day parade in Red Square.
Speaking at the ceremony marking the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, Putin linked the wartime legacy to Russia’s ongoing military campaign in Ukraine.
💐 Following the #Victory Parade, President Vladimir Putin & the foreign Leaders who attended the celebrations, laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier – honouring the Soviet heroes who gave their lives to free humanity from Nazism.#Victory81 https://t.co/2zu6YOOgHm pic.twitter.com/i10vRsXRrC
— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) May 9, 2026
“The great feat of the generation of victors inspires the soldiers carrying out the goals of the special military operation today,” Putin said.
“They are confronting an aggressive force armed and supported by the entire NATO bloc. And despite this, our heroes move forward,” he added.
“I firmly believe that our cause is just.”
The Kremlin significantly reduced the scale of this year’s parade following a series of long-range Ukrainian attacks in recent weeks.
No military hardware was displayed for the first time in nearly two decades, while attendance by foreign leaders was limited mainly to close Russian allies, including leaders from Belarus, Malaysia and Laos, as well as Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.
Russian military units marched alongside soldiers from North Korea during the event.
The parade took place under a three-day ceasefire agreed by both Moscow and Kyiv following a last-minute appeal by US President Donald Trump.
Trump announced Friday that the ceasefire would begin on May 9 and said he hoped it would mark “the beginning of the end” of the war, adding that the truce would include a prisoner exchange.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed Kyiv would observe the ceasefire to facilitate the exchange of 1,000 detainees from each side.
“Red Square is less important to us than the lives of Ukrainian prisoners who can be returned home,” Zelensky said.
Both Russian and Ukrainian authorities reported fewer drone attacks overnight.
Now in its fifth year, the war in Ukraine has become Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II, killing hundreds of thousands of people.
US-mediated peace efforts have shown limited progress in recent months.
Security measures in Moscow were tightened ahead of the parade, with empty streets reported across parts of the capital and disruptions to mobile internet services.
