Russia marks Victory Day with parade in Moscow under tight security

This year’s event was scaled back, with no tanks, missiles and other heavy ground weapons on display for the first time in two decades

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday oversaw a military parade commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II on Red Square.

Security was tight in Moscow as Putin spoke at the parade, even as a US-brokered three-day ceasefire eased concerns about possible Ukrainian attempts to disrupt the festivities.

Putin, in power for over a quarter of a century, has used Victory Day, Russia’s most important secular holiday, to showcase the country’s military might and rally support for his military action in Ukraine, now in its fifth year.

But this year, for the first time in nearly two decades, the parade will take place without tanks, missiles and other heavy weapons, aside from a traditional flyover of combat jets.

Officials said the sudden change of format was due to the “current operational situation” and pointed to the threat of Ukrainian attacks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the authorities have taken “additional security measures”.