The 2025 Moscow Victory Day Parade was a military parade held in Red Square, Moscow, Russia, on 9 May 2025, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Victory Day, which celebrates the defeat of Nazi Germany and the end of World War II in Europe.
Background Victory Day is a significant secular holiday in Russia that commemorates Germany's surrender in World War II, which marked the end of the war in Europe. At least 26 million Soviet citizens lost their lives. Victory Day has been observed annually on 9 May since 1945, and it is one of the most revered and widely celebrated public holidays in Russia, with parades, fireworks, and concerts held across the country.
During the presidency of Vladimir Putin, Western observers and media have maintained that the holiday has been used for propaganda purposes, particularly since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Parade summary
For the first time since 2012, Sergei Shoigu did not greet the 11,500 troops on Red Square as Minister of Defence, as he was replaced on 12 May 2024 after the 2024 Victory Day Parade, with Andrey Belousov assuming the role, appearing in a civilian suit rather than military uniform. Thirteen foreign contingents participated in the parade, including troops from the Commonwealth of Independent States with Egypt, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam joining the procession for the first time. The mechanized column opened with the iconic WWII-era T-34 tank and SU-100 self-propelled gun, symbolizing Soviet victory. They were followed by a display of modern military hardware: BMP-2 and Kurganets-25 infantry fighting vehicles, T-72B3M, T-80BVM, and T-90M Proryv main battle tanks, reconnaissance vehicles, medical transports, and missile systems including the Iskander-M and S-400 air defense system. Notably, unmanned aerial vehicles and loitering munitions such as the ZALA Lancet and Geran-2 drones were featured for the first time, highlighting the growing role of drone warfare. The parade concluded with a flyover by Su-30SM and MiG-29 fighter jets from the Russian Knights and Swifts aerobatic teams, followed by six Su-25 jets emitting plumes in the colors of the Russian tricolour. In a significant diplomatic gesture, the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, became the first leader from an EU or NATO member state to attend the festivities since the onset of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Putin's speech
In his Victory Day address, President Vladimir Putin emphasized Russia's role as the primary force behind the defeat of Germany, crediting the Soviet people with extraordinary heroism and sacrifice. He honored the memory of fallen soldiers and lauded the contributions of all Soviet republics, particularly highlighting the support from Central Asia and the South Caucasus during the war. He condemned modern attempts to distort the history of World War II, including efforts to downplay the Soviet Union's role or to rehabilitate Nazi collaborators. He criticized unnamed countries for erasing Soviet-era monuments and replacing them with memorials to what he called "traitors and Hitler's accomplices." He stated that Russia "will never agree" with the falsification of history or the slandering of the Red Army's legacy, and reaffirmed the need to preserve the truth and dignity of the Soviet war effort. Tying the legacy of the war to present-day events, Putin claimed that Russia's current military efforts are a continuation of the fight against Nazism and aggression. He asserted that the entire Russian society supports its soldiers and insisted that truth and justice are on Russia's side. He also warned of rising Russophobia and anti-Semitism, saying that Russia remains a global barrier against such ideologies. While acknowledging the contributions of the Allied nations, including the opening of the Second Front and the efforts of the Resistance and the Chinese people, Putin reiterated that the turning point of the war came on Soviet soil. He called on Russians to remain united, proud, and committed to their homeland, stating that the nation's strength lies in its unity, heritage, and values passed down by the wartime generation.
Foreign dignitaries in attendance
On 6 May, Yuri Ushakov, an aide to President Putin on foreign policy, announced a list of dignitaries who were to attend the parade, among whom were the leaders of 29 nations. Virtually all attended, including the leaders of most of the former Soviet republics, with the exceptions of the GUAM countries (Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine) and the Baltic states. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev cancelled his visit on 7 May, as did President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith. Parade participants President of Abkhazia Badra Gunba Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan Chairwoman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Željka Cvijanović President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva President of Burkina Faso Ibrahim Traoré President of China and General Secretary of the Communist Party Xi Jinping President of the Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou-Nguesso President of Cuba and First Secretary of the Communist Party Miguel Díaz-Canel President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi President of Equatorial Guinea Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo President of Ethiopia Taye Atske Selassie President of Guinea-Bissau Umaro Sissoco Embaló Minister of State for Defence of India Sanjay Seth Minister of Defence of Indonesia Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos Thongsavanh Phomvihane Supreme Commander of the Libyan National Army Khalifa Haftar President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh Prime Minister of Myanmar and Chairman of the State Administration Council Min Aung Hlaing Advisor for Economic and International Affairs of Nicaragua Laureano Ortega Ambassador of North Korea to Russia Sin Hong-chol President of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić Minister of Defence and Military Veterans of South Africa Angie Motshekga President of South Ossetia Alan Gagloev President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedow President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Tô Lâm President of Zimbabwe Emmerson Mnangagwa Other participants Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico On the evening of 8 May, Putin hosted an official dinner for foreign leaders present for the Victory Day parade.
Full order of the 2025 parade
Bold indicates first appearance, italic indicates multiple appearances, Bold and italic indicate returning appearance, all indicated unless otherwise noted.
Andrey Belousov, Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation (parade reviewing inspector) General of the Army Oleg Salyukov, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Ground Forces (parade commander)
Military bands
Massed Military Bands of the Armed Forces under the direction of the Senior Director of Music of the Military Band Service of the Armed Forces of Russia, Major General Timofey Mayakin Corps of Drums of the Moscow Military Music College – Led by the College Commandant, Colonel Alexander Gerasimov
Infantry column
154th Preobrazhensky Independent Commandant's Regiment Colour Guard 1st Honour Guard Company of the 1st Honor Guard Battalion, 154th PICR Front standards and historical colours Historical units Infantrymen Aviators Sailors Combat engineers Reconnaissance Border Troops of the NKVD Militiamen Combined Don Cossacks Company Foreign contingents on parade, in the order of their appearance Azerbaijani Commando Brigade 5th Brigade, Special Operations Forces of Belarus 37th Air Assault Brigade, Kazakh Airmobile Forces National Guard of Kyrgyzstan 7th Airborne Assault Brigade, Tajik Mobile Forces Independent Honor Guard Battalion of the Ministry of Defence of Turkmenistan Personnel of the Tashkent Military District of the Ministry of Defence of Uzbekistan Army Officer Training School No. 1, People's Army of Vietnam Military Police Detachment, Egyptian Armed Forces Beijing Capital Garrison Honor Guard Battalion, Central Theater Command, People's Liberation Army Personnel of the Lao People's Armed Forces 032 Military Unit, Mongolian Armed Forces Honour Guard of the Tatmadaw Suvorov Military School Nakhimov Naval School Kronstadt Sea Cadet Corps Moscow Young Army Patriotic Cadets Unit (on behalf of the Young Army Cadets National Movement) Unit of Participants of the Special Military Operation Combined Regiment of the Russian Ground Forces Combined Arms Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Military University of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation Military Logistics Academy "General of the Army A. V. Khrulev" Grand Duke Mikhailovskaya Military Artillery Academy Combined regiment of female cadets of Armed Forces educational institution Combined Regiment of the Russian Aerospace Forces Zhukovsky - Gagarin Air Force Academy Military Space Academy "Alexander Mozhaysky" Combined Regiment of the Russian Navy Baltic Naval Institute "Admiral Feodor Ushakov" Naval Polytechnic Institute Peter the Great Sea Cadet Corps Pacific Naval Institute "Admiral Sergei Makarov" Peter the Great Military Academy of the Strategic Missile Forces Ryazan Guards Higher Airborne Command School "General of the Army Vasily Margelov" Moscow Border Institute of the Border Service of the FSB of the Russian Federation "Moscow City Council" Engineering Troops Unit formed by Cadets of the Tyumen Higher Command School and servicemen of the 1st, the 28th and 45th Engineering Brigades 38th Independent Railway Brigade of the Russian Railway Troops NBC Protection Military Academy "Marshal Semyon Timoshenko" Parade Unit of the Military Police Civil Defense Academy of the Ministry of Emergency Situations Separate Operational Purpose Division of the National Guard Forces Command, Federal National Guard Troops Service of the Russian Federation "Felix Dzerzhinsky" Cossacks from the Kuban and Terek Cossack Hosts Moscow Higher Military Command School "Supreme Soviet of Russia"
Mobile column T-34/85 medium tanks SU-100 tank destroyers Tigr-M infantry mobility vehicle (16th Guards Spetsnaz Brigade) ZA-SpN "Titan" infantry mobility vehicles Typhoon-K53949 "Phoenix" infantry mobility vehicles Linza medical evacuation vehicles BRM-1K reconnaissance vehicles (136th Guards Reconnaissance Battalion of 2nd Guards Motor Rifle Division) BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles (15th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment) BMP-3M & Kurganets-25 infantry fighting vehicles (27th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade) T-72B3M main battle tanks (1st Guards Tank Regiment) T-80BVM main battle tanks (13th Guards Tank Regiment) T-90M "Proryv" main battle tanks (1st Guards Motor Rifle Regiment) 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled howitzers (34th Guards Artillery Division) 2S44 Giatsint-K & 2S43 Malva self-propelled howitzers Tornado-S multiple rocket launchers TOS-2 "Tosochka" heavy flamethrower systems 9K720 Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile systems (448th Rocket Brigade & 112th Guards Rocket Brigade) Trucks with Orlan, Lancet & Geran-2 launchers (7th Separate Regiment of the Unmanned Systems Troops) S-400 "Triumf" surface-to-air missile systems (584th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment of 4th Air Defence Division of 1st Special Purpose Air and Missile Defense Army) BMD-4 & BTR-MDM "Rakushka" infantry fighting vehicles (106th Guards Airborne Division) RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile systems (54th Guards Rocket Division) VPK-7829 Bumerang infantry fighting vehicles
Aerial column
Sukhoi Su-30 & Mikoyan MiG-29 fighters planes (Russian Knights & Swifts aerobatic teams) Sukhoi Su-25 attack aircraft
Music