Russia holds scaled-down Victory Day parade as temporary ceasefire takes effect

By Zahra Ullah, CNN

Moscow (CNN) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has begun presiding over a pared-back Victory Day parade on Moscow’s Red Square, after a three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine took effect.

Russia’s annual May 9 parade commemorates the Soviet Union’s victory over Germany in World War II. Under Putin, it has come to symbolize the country’s military strength.

However, in a marked departure this year, Russian authorities announced there would be no display of heavy military hardware – forgoing the traditional show of force in favor of security.

The parade takes place amid intensified Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russian territory, particularly against oil refineries, as the Ukrainian government accuses the Kremlin of continuing attacks on Kyiv and beyond.

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 to 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.”

Russia’s Ministry of Defense said the parade will feature a flyover by fighter planes, and soldiers will march on Red Square, in front of Lenin’s mausoleum.

Around 27 million people in the Soviet Union died during WW2, more than in any other country.

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