The Kremlin announced this week that Russia’s May 9 Victory Day parades will proceed without the customary public display of military hardware — the first time in nearly two decades the weaponry element has been omitted. Officials said the change reflects heightened security concerns after an uptick in Ukrainian strikes deep into Russian territory.
Moscow’s Red Square ceremony is one of the country’s largest annual events and, under President Vladimir Putin, has long been used to exhibit tanks, missiles and other military kit. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the parade has also served as a platform to rally domestic support for the war. But Kremlin and defense officials cited the “operational situation” as the reason for canceling the hardware procession this year.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticized Kyiv, accusing it of escalating what he called “full-scale terrorist activity” as its forces struggle on the battlefield, and said precautions are being taken to reduce risk to people and assets. The Kremlin also noted that 2024 was a major anniversary — the 80th — which helped explain last year’s unusually large and largely military-focused commemoration.
Last year’s celebration brought foreign leaders to Moscow, including China’s Xi Jinping and Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Analysts point out that the 2025 parade, according to former British defense attaché John Foreman, included about 11,000 troops and roughly 150 vehicles, among them tanks that had not appeared in recent years.
Observers and Kremlin critics say the decision to omit visible weaponry likely aims to avoid exposing valuable military equipment to potential drone or strike attacks and to retain materiel for combat operations. “This decision signals a degree of vulnerability rather than strength,” said Natia Seskuria, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, noting that last year Russia displayed new tanks and drones during a high-profile event.
Public displays of weapons have been a staple of Russian Victory Day since 2008; this year’s change underscores how the wider conflict and security concerns are affecting even carefully choreographed national ceremonies.
Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru