Russia marks 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany

Russian servicemen instrumentality portion successful the Victory Day subject parade successful Moscow, Russia, Friday, May 9, 2025, marking the 80th day of the Soviet Union's triumph implicit Nazi Germany during the World War II. Maxim Bogovid/AP/Photo big bureau RIA Novosti hide caption

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Maxim Bogovid/AP/Photo big bureau RIA Novosti

MOSCOW — Russia marked the 80th day of the decision of Nazi Germany successful World War II with a monolithic subject parade connected Red Square connected Friday attended by President Vladimir Putin and a slew of overseas leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Victory Day, which is celebrated successful Russia connected May 9, is the country's astir important secular holiday. A Red Square parade and different ceremonies underline Moscow's efforts to task its planetary powerfulness and cement the alliances it has forged portion seeking a counterbalance to the West amid the struggle Ukraine that has dragged into a 4th year.

World War II is simply a uncommon lawsuit successful the nation's divisive past nether Communist regularisation that is revered by each governmental groups, and the Kremlin has utilized that sentiment to promote nationalist pridefulness and underline Russia's presumption arsenic a planetary power.

From 2nd right: Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedow, Tajikistan's President Emomali Rakhmon, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinpin ticker the Victory Day subject parade successful Moscow, Russia, Friday, May 9, 2025, during celebrations of the 80th day of the Soviet Union's triumph implicit Nazi Germany during the World War II. Sergei Bobylev/Photo big bureau RIA Novosti hide caption

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Sergei Bobylev/Photo big bureau RIA Novosti

The Soviet Union mislaid a staggering 27 cardinal radical successful what it calls the Great Patriotic War successful 1941-45, an tremendous sacrifice that near a heavy scar successful the nationalist psyche.

Festivities this twelvemonth were overshadowed by Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Moscow and terrible disruptions astatine the capital's airports.

Russian emblem bearer Aeroflot connected Wednesday greeting canceled much than 100 flights to and from Moscow, and delayed implicit 140 others arsenic the subject were repelling repeated Ukrainian drone attacks connected the capital.

Russian authorities person tightened information up of the parade and cellphone net outages person been reported amid physics countermeasures aimed astatine foiling much imaginable drone attacks.

Speaking astatine the parade, Putin hailed Russian troops warring successful Ukraine, saying that "we are arrogant of their courageousness and determination, their spiritual unit that ever has brought america victory."

Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov is driven on Red Square successful an Aurus car during the Victory Day subject parade successful Moscow, Russia, Friday, May 9, 2025, marking the 80th day of the Soviet Union's triumph implicit Nazi Germany during the World War II. Alexander Wilf/AP/Photo big bureau RIA Novosti hide caption

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Alexander Wilf/AP/Photo big bureau RIA Novosti

The Russian person has declared a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire starting Wednesday to coincide with the Victory Day celebrations, but warned that Russian troops volition retaliate to immoderate attacks. Moscow has been reluctant to judge a U.S.-proposed 30-day truce that Ukraine has accepted, linking it to a halt successful Western arms supplies to Ukraine and Kyiv's mobilization effort, conditions Ukraine and its Western allies person rejected.

Ukrainian authorities reported scores of Russian strikes connected Friday that killed astatine slightest 2 radical successful the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions and damaged buildings.

As the Red Square parade and different festivities unfolded successful Moscow, dozens of European officials were gathering successful Lviv, successful occidental Ukraine, to endorse the instauration of a peculiar tribunal tasked to prosecute Russian officials accused of warfare crimes.