The traditional parade in Moscow on May 9 will take place without military equipment for the first time in a long time. The Russian Ministry of Defense explained this by the "operational situation." Mass events are being canceled in the regions on this day.
In the traditional parade in Moscow on May 9, 2026, military equipment will not participate for the first time in a long time, writes DW. Cadets from Suvorov military schools and Nakhimov naval schools will also not march across Red Square. This was announced by the Russian Ministry of Defense on its Telegram channel on Tuesday, April 28, citing the "current operational situation." However, combat aircraft will participate in the parade, the ministry added.
Earlier, journalist Alexandra Prokopenko and political scientist Ekaterina Schulman reported, citing their sources, that the Victory Day parade in Moscow might take place in a "trimmed" format. Similar assumptions appeared in pro-war Telegram channels. It was noted that this year, unlike previous ones, there were no rehearsals for the parade involving military equipment in the Russian capital at the end of April.
Meanwhile, mass events on May 9 are being canceled in Russian regions. There will be no parades, in particular, in Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov, Chuvashia, and Kaluga region. In Voronezh, Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod regions, it was decided to cancel the festive fireworks. Local authorities everywhere cited security considerations.
In recent months, Ukraine has attacked infrastructure facilities in various regions of Russia in response to strikes by the Russian army, including maritime ports in the Baltic through which oil is exported, and a refinery in Tuapse.
Last year, Putin spoke about the war in Ukraine during the parade
In 2025, Russia celebrated the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazism in World War II on May 9. More than 10,000 military personnel participated in the parade, including from North Korea, as well as about 200 units of military equipment - both from 80 years ago and modern.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at last year's parade on Red Square, compared the Soviet Union's war against Nazi Germany in 1941-45 with the ongoing war of Russia against Ukraine.
The parade in Moscow was attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, heads of several former Soviet republics, as well as Myanmar, Venezuela, Egypt, and some other countries. Only Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico represented the EU and NATO member states. Additionally, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić attended the celebration.
Military equipment has participated in the May 9 parade in Moscow annually since 2008.
Leave a comment