As Trump announces a 3-day Russia-Ukraine ceasefire, Putin prepares a muted Victory Parade

By Zahra Ullah, CNN

Moscow (CNN) — For years, Russia’s Victory Day parade has symbolized the country’s military strength and power, with a dazzling display of heavy military equipment and a stream of visiting dignitaries.

This year things will look very different. Russian President Vladimir Putin will host a scaled-back parade in Red Square, with no military hardware on display due to the “current operational situation,” according to the Russian Defense Ministry. There will also be fewer foreign leaders than previous years, and now most international press will have to rely on footage coming from Russian state media to cover the event.

In a sign of heightened security concerns from the Kremlin, many international journalists have been told they won’t be able to attend the parade commemorating the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two.

“Putin likes to look in control and wants the Russian state to look strong, and that is not the message this sends. It sends a message he wouldn’t usually want to send,” said Sam Greene, professor of Russian politics at King’s College London, noting it was “out of character” for the Russian leader.

This year, the Kremlin appears to be prioritizing security over the traditional show of force. The parade takes place amid intensified Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russian territory, particularly on oil refineries. In more of a symbolic blow due to the fact there were no casualties, a drone hit a high-rise apartment building in an upscale neighborhood of western central Moscow on Monday. This has contributed to increased security measures.

On Friday, on the eve of the parade, US President Donald Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a three-day ceasefire from May 9-11, which will include a halt to fighting and a large-scale prisoner exchange. The news was confirmed by both the Kremlin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with the latter saying the prisoner exchange would be “in the format of 1,000 for 1,000.”

“Within the framework of the negotiating process mediated by the American side, Red Square is less important to us than the lives of Ukrainian prisoners who can be brought home,” Zelensky said.

Even so, security will still be top of mind. Amid the traditional decorations in the red, white and blue of the Russian flag, adorning Moscow’s streets, and the black and orange St. George Ribbon – a symbol of Russia’s military – widely seen in shop windows, anti-aircraft systems are visible around Moscow.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied on Friday that international journalists had their accreditation revoked, instead saying the number of journalists who could attend was limited due to the curtailed format of this year’s parade.

“This year, since the entire ceremony is somewhat limited, the number of journalists allowed is also limited,” Peskov said, adding “there has not been a single case of anyone being stripped of their accreditation.”

And yet several international journalists, including CNN, who were accredited to attend the parade, were told by the Kremlin on Thursday that they were no longer able to do so. CNN were told only that the “host broadcasters” would be attending this year’s celebrations.

Unlike the commemorations in 2025 which included China’s Xi Jinping as a guest of honor as well as dozens of other leaders, this year’s invite list is also more conservative with key Putin ally Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith attending. NATO and EU member Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico will be in Moscow for a bilateral meeting with Putin but has said he won’t attend the parade.

The clipped parade takes place amid growing concerns in Russia around the slowing economy and increased internet restrictions which have disrupted daily life, but which Putin has said are necessary for public safety.

On Friday, one of Russia’s largest telecoms operators warned Muscovites they could face restrictions on mobile internet and text messaging around the capital city “to ensure security during the festive events,” according to messages seen by CNN.

The mood among residents in Moscow also appears to be more subdued, with Mikhail, who only gave his first name, telling CNN that it’s time for the war to end.

“It’s already time,” he said, adding: “People are dying, finances are disappearing, and all sorts of restrictions are being introduced. It’s clear that this is unpleasant. War has never been good.”

Nina Khrushcheva, professor of International Affairs at the New School, who was recently labelled a foreign agent by Russian authorities, told CNN Putin and the security services were likely spooked by recent international events, as well as the scores of incoming drones from the Ukrainians towards Russian territory.

“There is paranoia at every turn,” she said. “Putin was thoroughly freaked out by seeing what happened to the leadership in Iran, Venezuela, and even the shootings targeted at US President Donald Trump. On top of that, you have hundreds of drones launched from Ukraine daily.”

Earlier on Friday, Ukraine and Russia had accused each other of violating previously announced ceasefires in the lead up to the Victory Day celebrations.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman issued a stark warning to diplomatic missions to evacuate their staff from Kyiv in the event of a massive strike by Moscow if the Ukrainian government targeted the May 9 Victory Day celebrations. However, following the Trump announced ceasefire, retaliatory strikes now seem unlikely. In what appeared to be a barbed jibe at the Kremlin, Zelensky issued a decree “allowing” the parade in Moscow to go ahead.

Galina from Novoazovsk in Russian-occupied Donbas was in Moscow on a sightseeing trip with her husband. She told CNN she has felt the effects of the war since 2014 – following Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the ensuing war between Russian backed separatists and Ukrainian forces. Despite wearing the St. George’s ribbon, she says she hopes the war ends soon: “It’s the people who suffer,” she said, adding “war is bad for everyone.”

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.