Is Putin Scared? Russia's Victory Parade This Year Won't Have Military Hardware

Last Updated:May 07, 2026, 19:29 IST

Russia to hold a scaled back Victory Day Parade on May 9 without tanks or missiles amid threats of Ukraine drone attacks.

For the first time, Russia will host Victory Day Parade that will not have any military hardware amid Ukraine’s drone attacks.

Russia celebrates Victory Parade every year on May 9 to mark the World War II defeat of the Nazis. Since the launch of attacks on Ukraine in 2022, President Vladimir Putin has been using the Parade to galvanise support for the campaign against Ukraine. However, he has toned down the celebrations this year.

According to AFP, tanks and missiles will not roll through Red Square for the first time in almost two decades – a decision taken as Ukraine launches drone attacks as far away as the Urals.

Earlier this week, Moscow had issued warnings to foreign diplomats in Kyiv that it would hit the Ukrainian capital if Kyiv targeted the commemorations.

AFP quoted Kristina Sitnikova, a 26-year-old visiting Moscow from the Russian Far East, saying that she would not be in the square for the parade as she was scared of “being at the wrong place at the wrong time".

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has slammed Russia for continuing its attacks though a “silence" was supposed to be in place in the wake of Victory Day.

This came a day after the Russian army attacked Ukrainian towns in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions. In response, Ukraine launched over 300 drones towards Russian territory.

According to EU Observer, Ukrainian drones targeted a military-logistics facility in the town of Naro-Fominsk, about 60 km from the centre of the Russian capital.

This was not the first time that Ukraine was able to break into Moscow’s air defences. On Monday, Ukraine launched strikes into area that was 6km from Red Square.

On Wednesday, Zelenskyy said: “Russia received from us a clear proposal regarding a ceasefire and diplomatic talks and knows how to contact Ukraine or our partners to agree on the details. But if the only person in Moscow who cannot live without war is not interested in anything other than a military parade, then that is another matter."

“Ukraine is ready to work towards peace. Ukraine is trying to end this war with dignity. Russia has driven itself into a dead end, where now even its main military parade depends on us," he said.

“Russia cares more about the parade than about the entire country," Zelenskyy added.

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