Russia Marks 81st Victory Day with Red Square Military Parade

Russia marked the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany today with a formal military parade on Moscow’s Red Square. The event commemorates the end of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945).

The ceremony began with the Honor Guard of the Preobrazhensky Regiment marching across the square, carrying the Russian national flag and the historic Victory Banner—a replica of the one hoisted over the Reichstag in Berlin in May 1945.

President Vladimir Putin observed the proceedings from the central reviewing stand, accompanied by war veterans and invited foreign dignitaries. The parade was reviewed by Defense Minister Andrey Belousov and commanded by Ground Forces Commander-in-Chief Colonel General Andrey Mordvichev.

While the event remains Russia's most significant national holiday, this year's parade follows the announcement of a temporary three-day ceasefire in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, intended to facilitate a major prisoner-of-war exchange.