Russia Holds Scaled-Back Victory Day Parade Without Tanks or Military Hardware — First Time in ~20 Years; North Korean Troops March in Red Square

On May 9, 2026, Russia held its annual Victory Day parade commemorating the Soviet defeat of Nazi Germany — but for the first time in nearly two decades, the parade was stripped of all heavy military hardware. No tanks, armored vehicles, missiles, or military aircraft appeared on Red Square, as Russian security forces feared Ukrainian long-range drone and missile strikes on Moscow. The 45-minute parade featured over 1,000 troops from the ongoing 'special military operation,' including a contingent of North Korean soldiers — their first public appearance in a Moscow parade — who marched alongside Russian forces. Mobile internet and text messaging in Moscow were shut down as a precaution against drone guidance signals. The only 'display' of military equipment came via video screens on Red Square showing footage of Russian weaponry. Only leaders of close Russian allies attended as foreign dignitaries. In his address, Putin declared 'Victory will be ours,' invoking the Soviet defeat of Nazi Germany to justify the current war: 'The great feat of the generation of victors inspires the soldiers carrying out the goals of the special military operation today.' He characterized Russia as 'standing up to an aggressive force armed and supported by the entire NATO bloc.' Western analysts viewed the hardware-free parade as a profound symbolic humiliation — demonstrating how Ukraine's deep-strike drone campaign had materially altered Russian domestic security calculations. Zelensky declined to issue strikes on Moscow in keeping with his ceasefire stance, stating that bringing home Ukrainian prisoners was 'more important than Red Square.'