The Victory Day parade celebrates the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in 1945.

Addressing the Victory Day parade, Russian President Vladimir Putin told citizens that civilisation today was again at a decisive turning point and a real war had been unleashed against Russia. "We have repulsed international terrorism, we will protect the inhabitants of Donbas, we will ensure our security," Putin added.
Russian President Putin said on Tuesday that Russian citizens were united in a sacred fight with the West over Ukraine that would end in a victory. He added that "Western global elites" were sowing Russophobia and aggressive nationalism, while the Ukrainian people had become "hostages to a state coup" and to the ambitions of the West.

The leaders of former Soviet states including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Turkmenistan, and Armenia attended the Victory Day parade. In this photograph, Russian President Putin is accompanied by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov.