Russia will not show military equipment at the World War II Victory Parade

Russia will not deploy military equipment in this year's parade to mark the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, or Victory Day, the country's Defense Ministry said.

The event, which is usually marked by a bombastic military show every year, is scheduled for May 9 in Moscow's Red Square.

"Several military schools, cadet corps, and columns of military equipment will not participate in this year's military parade due to the current operational situation," the ministry said on Telegram, quoted by Al Arabiya (30/4).

The parade is expected to include representatives from all branches of the armed forces, as well as videos showing soldiers "carrying out duties in special military operation zones," a reference to the war in Ukraine, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, air shows are still planned for this year's anniversary.

"During the flight segment of the parade, aircraft from the Russian aerobatics team will fly over the Red Square, and at the end of the parade, pilots of Su-25 ground attack aircraft will color the Moscow sky with the colors of the Russian Federation flag," the Ministry of Defense explained.

Separately, the Kremlin said on Wednesday that a military parade on Red Square had been scaled back this year and would not include military equipment because of the risk of what it described as "Ukrainian terrorist activity."

Last year, more than two dozen world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, were in Moscow to witness a procession of thousands of troops - some of whom fought in Ukraine - and various weapons, including new tanks and drones, deployed to mark the Nazi defeat in 1945.

World War II, known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War, is the main historical narrative of Vladimir Putin's rule for a quarter of a century.

President Putin has repeatedly used the victory over Nazi Germany to justify the attack on Ukraine, calling the "Kyiv regime" a "neo-Nazi" that needed to be removed from power.

On the other hand, Kyiv and the West reject the narrative as propaganda and call Russia's campaign an illegal land grab that has killed tens of thousands of civilians and led Moscow to seize most of southern and eastern Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine, which Moscow launched in February 2022, has mobilized significant economic resources and has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

Diplomatic efforts to end the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War Two have stalled.