A parade was held in Moscow on 9 May without military equipment
This was reported by Ukrinform, citing the BBC’s Russian Service
The parade in Moscow took place without military equipment and with communication disruptions
Russian President Vladimir Putin and delegations from nearly 30 countries attended the celebrations in Moscow. Among the guests were representatives from China, Brazil, Venezuela, Slovakia, Serbia, Armenia, Mongolia, Cuba, Tajikistan and Belarus. This year, for the first time, the task of leading the parade was entrusted to the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Ground Forces, Andrei Mordvichev.
Participation of soldiers who fought against Ukraine
According to Russian media reports, around 1,500 soldiers who fought against Ukraine were among the parade participants. Over a hundred of them marched across Red Square as part of the parade columns. In addition to Russian troops, units from 13 other countries took part in the event. In particular, they arrived from China, Vietnam, Egypt, Mongolia and Myanmar. During his speech, Vladimir Putin briefly touched on the war against Ukraine and stated that Russia is “proud” of the military personnel taking part in the hostilities.
Communication problems were reported in Moscow and the regions
On the day of the parade, mobile network disruptions were observed in central Moscow — Wi-Fi was largely the only option available. Internet problems were also reported in other Russian cities where events were held to mark 9 May. Disruptions were reported in Khabarovsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Ufa, Saratov, Yekaterinburg, Kostroma and Voronezh. In addition, local media reported difficulties with cashless payments.
Ukraine’s statements ahead of 9 May
On the eve of the event, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv was prepared to observe a temporary ceasefire for the duration of the parade, provided Russia also refrained from attacks. Earlier, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had called on foreign states to bear in mind that the Russian army, represented at the parade, was implicated in war crimes and acts against the civilian population in Ukraine.
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