Putin Denounces NATO as Russian Troops Fight an Aggressive NATO-Backed Force at Victory Day Parade

Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw a scaled-back Victory Day parade on Moscow’s Red Square on Saturday, using the speech to justify the war in Ukraine and denounce NATO.

“Putin says Russian soldiers confronting ‘aggressive force’ armed, supported by NATO Moscow holds annual military parade marking Victory Day on Red Square ISTANBUL 09 May 2026•Update: 09 May 2026 Kanyshai Butun Russian soldiers are confronting “an aggressive force” armed and supported by entire NATO, President Vladimir Putin said Saturday”

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Putin said Russian troops were fighting an "aggressive force" backed by all of NATO and declared, "Victory has always been and will be ours," as columns of soldiers lined up for the annual commemoration of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

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For the first time in nearly two decades, the parade did not feature tanks, missiles and other heavy weapons, with the change in format attributed to the "current operational situation" and fears of a potential Ukrainian attack.

Security was tight in Moscow, with mobile internet access blocked for the public and a large security detail surrounding Putin during his appearance.

The parade took place as a three-day ceasefire brokered by the US came into effect, with Russia and Ukraine also agreeing to exchange 1,000 prisoners.

The US-brokered three-day ceasefire was described as easing concerns about possible Ukrainian attempts to disrupt the festivities, and the BBC said the truce appeared to hold as the parade took place in Moscow.

In his remarks, Putin told the crowd that Russian soldiers "are confronting an aggressive force armed and supported by the entire bloc of NATO," while the BBC reported that for the first time in years no armoured vehicles or ballistic missiles featured in Moscow’s parade.

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After the ceremony, Russia’s defence ministry accused Ukraine of breaking the ceasefire, without providing details, while Ukraine did not immediately comment, according to the BBC.

The France 24 report also said Russia declared a unilateral ceasefire for Friday and Saturday, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a truce that was supposed to begin on May 6 but "the truces quickly unraveled" as both sides traded blame for continuing attacks.

France 24 further reported that Zelensky issued a decree mockingly permitting Russia to hold its Victory Day celebrations on Saturday, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed it as a "silly joke".

The scaled-back parade and the ceasefire are tied to a prisoner exchange framework that both sides said would involve 1,000 detainees, with the BBC noting that Putin laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier after the speech.

In the same period, the BBC said Russian defence ministry officials announced this year’s parade would be scaled back citing the "current operational situation," and it described how threats of Ukrainian drones were used to justify paring back the event.

The DW report said Russian soldiers in Ukraine were fighting a "just" cause, while the France 24 account said Putin voiced confidence of victory in Ukraine as he oversaw the parade.

The BBC also reported that after the parade Russia’s defence ministry claimed Ukraine had violated the truce and said Russia would continue to observe the ceasefire, leaving the next days dependent on whether accusations persist.

With the ceasefire set to run for three days and the exchange planned, the immediate stakes described by the sources center on whether the truce holds through the Victory Day period and whether the prisoner swap proceeds as announced.