Russia to hold equipment-free Red Square parade as Ukraine war grinds on

Moscow will exclude military equipment from its May 9 celebrations, citing the ‘current operational situation’

Russia will mark victory over Nazi Germany next month with a military parade on Moscow’s Red Square, but with no military equipment displayed in view of the operational situation in the war in Ukraine, the ‌Defence Ministry said late on Tuesday.

The parade, traditionally held on May 9, the day the Soviet Union signed Germany’s surrender, would this year mark the 81st anniversary of victory in what Russians call the Great Patriotic War.

One of the top holidays on the Russian calendar, it allows the dwindling number of veterans to gather in streets with medals on display and is accompanied by an outpouring ⁠of emotion marked by feature films, documentaries and wartime music.

But this year, the ministry said, no military hardware ‌would pass through the square.

“Military personnel from the higher military educational institutions of all types and individual branches of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will take part ‌in the parade as part of the marching column,” the statement said.

The statement said representatives ⁠of certain educational institutions ⁠would not participate “and nor will a column of military equipment take part in the military parade in connection with the current operational situation”.