One for the Books

Forget the Super Bowl. The yearly event we anticipate for months, settling in with snacks and drinks and inviting our friends over to watch (they rarely show) is Victory Day.

Ok, not really.

But seriously, Russia's main patriotic holiday is an annual gathering of foreign dignitaries, thousands of soldiers from Russia's armed forces and international delegations, and modern and historic military hardware. The holiday celebrates the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, a critical part of modern Russian ideology.

It's not just a chance to hear stirring patriotic tunes, watch octogenarian tanks tear up Red Square's pavement, and see intricate toy-soldier marches. It's a barometer, a check-in to see how Russia is doing and how it wants to present itself to the world.

We've found that the South China Morning Post has consistently outstanding coverage of the parade, likely with Kremlin backing. Check it out here.

After a parade in 2024 marred by poor weather, gaffes, and a disturbing lack of vehicles, this year's Victory Day celebration, held in Red Square in glorious May sunshine, went off without a hitch. It was the biggest and most extravagant parade in a decade. There was a lot to unpack.

First, the guest list. There were, of course, the usual suspects. These would be presidents of Central Eurasian nations like Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, which maintain a close relationship with Russia. There were also several African heads of state present, as well as a handful from countries like Nicaragua and Myanmar. And, of course, in the front row was Alexander Lukashenko, Putin's closest ally, who cheered like an unruly uncle when his country's troops marched past.

Then there were the spicier choices. South Ossetia, a Georgian breakaway state recognized only by five nations, was represented, as was Palestine. Notably, representatives of Slovakia and Serbia were in attendance; Slovakia is part of the EU, while Serbia is pursuing membership but also maintains close ties to Russia.

There was also Steven Seagal, the erstwhile American actor who has recently become a Putin mega-fan. See him at 1:54:03 in the stream.

Chinese President Xi Jinping was unquestionably the guest of honor. Xi sat right next to Putin during the celebrations; so close, in fact, that you can hear his translator speaking Chinese while Putin gave his speech in Russian. In addition, the largest international contingent of soldiers was a Chinese unit. These together make it appear that Russia and China are moving ever closer.

In total, there were reportedly more than twenty national leaders in attendance, the most in years. Plus one Steven Seagal.

After the parade began with characteristic pomp, Putin launched into his speech. He stood at a podium surrounded by guests and nestled underneath a massive pergola. The construction looked imposing and was decorated with myriad Second World War symbols. But it may have also served a practical purpose: the BBC speculated it was to protect VIPs from a possible attack by airborne drones.

Putin's speech was not terribly remarkable, except for a handful of phrases. One, Russia's War on Ukraine was mentioned only obliquely as the "Special Military Operation." Two, China's contribution to defeating Imperial Japan was nodded to (unsurprising, given Xi's presence). Three, the message was shot through with references to family and "narod," or "nation." This last idiom points to an understanding of statehood rooted in blood relations, part of Putin's international worldview.

Then came the parade itself. Here contrasts were on full display. Loose military fatigues and modern assault rifles marched right after recreated Soviet uniforms and PPSh-41s, which followed resplendent traditional military dress with gold braid and ceremonial arms. Adding to the clash were the myriad units from other countries, like Azerbaijani commandos, Sub-Saharan Africans in combat gear, and a Vietnamese battalion.

The vehicle portion of the parade was also full of contrast. T-34s led the way, as usual (in 2024, a single T-34 was the only tank of any kind present; this year, there were six). After them came World War II-era tank destroyers, then Cold War APCs, right up to modern MRAPs. Then T-72s and T-90s, Russia's main battle tanks. After some howitzers and artillery, nuclear missile trucks passed through the square, which is unusual for Victory Day and once again hints that Putin pulled out all the stops for this 80th anniversary.

But on Victory Day, what is absent is just as significant as what is present. No Ukrainian troops, of course; they marched in London this year. Also, despite way more military hardware, the most cutting-edge stuff like BMPT "Terminators" and brand-new T-14 tanks were nowhere to be found. And the planes for the final flyover, same as last year, were Su-25s, MiG-29s, and Su-30s, not the sleek, stealth Su-57s made to compete with America's F-22s and F-35s.

It seems the war in Ukraine is still the elephant in the room, as it was last year, when the lack of tanks and subdued panoply appeared to reflect a shoestring budget and stuttering military machine. New this year were drone-launching trucks, which reflected battlefield conditions in Ukraine. In addition, and subtly, many tanks had anti-drone netting around their turrets. They weren't as janky as some battlefield examples, but still... interesting.

That's why Victory Day is always a sight to behold. There's always a sideways reference, a bit of goofiness from the characters we know and love (looking at you, Lukashenko), and symbols galore. It's a tea-leaf-reading event. Just like how Sovietologists used to try to divine who was next in line by analyzing who stood where while watching parades, so now we get a glimpse into Putin's, and Russia's, state while seeing the best that Moscow can offer.