Russia celebrates WWII Victory Day: Live updates
Thousands of troops and dozens of military vehicles paraded across Moscow’s iconic Red Square on May 9 to celebrate the 79th anniversary of victory against the Nazi German invaders and their collaborators.
Military parades and other ceremonial events paying tribute to the valor and sacrifice of the Soviet people have taken place in over 300 cities across Russia, with the centerpiece event kicking off in Moscow at 10am local time.
For over a decade now, Victory Day has also included a massive civilian march known as the Immortal Regiment, in which people carry portraits of their relatives who fought the Nazis. This year, however, the ceremony was canceled due to security concerns.
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09 May 2024
08:20 GMTPutin, along with several foreign leaders, including those from former Soviet republics, laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Alexander Garden, not far from Red Square.
- 08:11 GMT
As the armored columns left Red Square, nine Russian warplanes flew over Moscow in a carefully choreographed, tight formation. They were followed by six more planes, painting the sky in the colors of the Russian flag.
- 08:09 GMT
Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles, which are part of Russia’s nuclear deterrence shield, also took part in the parade.
- 08:08 GMT
After the columns of troops marched across Red Square, a WWII-era T-34-85 followed, becoming the first armored vehicle to appear during the parade.
- 07:49 GMT
Columns of Russian troops have started their march as it begins to snow lightly on Red Square.
- 07:44 GMT
Putin has announced a minute of silence to commemorate those who died in the Great Patriotic War against Nazi Germany, as well as those killed in the Ukraine conflict.
- 07:43 GMT
The West wants to forget the lessons of history, while Russia remembers that the “fate of humanity” was ultimately decided in fierce battles between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, Putin said, recalling that for the first three years of the war, Moscow stood largely alone in the face of the relentless German onslaught.
At the same time, “Russia has never downplayed the significance” of the Allied assistance in WWII and their separate fight against the Nazis, he added.
- 07:39 GMT
Western elites have embraced a sentiment of “revenge-seeking,” while attempting to exonerate neo-Nazis in order to fuel regional conflicts and inter-ethnic hostilities, as well as deterring “independent centers of international development,” Putin said. “We reject claims of any state or alliance to exceptionalism,” he added.
According to the president, while Russia will do its best to prevent a global conflict, “it will not allow anyone to threaten us.”
- 07:25 GMT
Russian President Vladimir Putin has started his speech, greeting the troops on Victory Day. He stated that the truth about World War II is being distorted – in a thinly veiled rebuke of the West, he said the truth “stands in the way of those who are accustomed to building their de-facto colonial policies on hypocrisy and lies.”
Some nations, he added, are bringing down monuments to the “true fighters against Nazism,” while exalting Nazi collaborators.
- 07:15 GMT
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and the commander-in-chief of the Russian Ground Forces Oleg Salyukov saluted the troops and congratulated them on Victory Day.
