Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the changes in the traditional parade held on May 9 in Moscow. According to him, the Russian authorities have abandoned the use of military equipment due to fears of attacks by Ukrainian drones during the event on Red Square. The Ukrainian leader made this statement during his speech at the European Political Community summit in Yerevan.
This is reported by Kyiv24
“Russia has announced a parade on May 9 in Moscow, but there will be no military equipment at this parade. If this really happens, it will be the first time in many, many years that they cannot afford to have weapons present at the parade and are afraid that drones might fly over Red Square. This is telling. It shows that they (the Russian Federation – ed.) are no longer as strong as they used to be. Therefore, we must continue to apply sanctions pressure on them.”
Assessment of the Situation and Calls to Partners
Volodymyr Zelensky noted that the current summer could be a decisive period for the Russian Federation. He believes that during this time, Russian President Vladimir Putin will be forced to choose between further escalation of hostilities and moving towards diplomatic dialogue. The Ukrainian president urged European countries to actively influence Russia by increasing sanctions pressure and thereby prompting it to negotiations.
Zelensky emphasized that he supports the idea of a ceasefire but opposes short-term truces that could only be used for holding the parade in Moscow. He stressed that such actions should not lead to the actual continuation of hostilities after the festive events are over.
Security in Moscow and the Situation on the Front
The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed that this year’s May 9 parade will take place in a reduced format and without the demonstration of military equipment. At the same time, on the night of May 4, there were reports of a drone attack in Moscow: one of the drones reached a residential building on Mosfilmovskaya Street, which is only six kilometers from the Kremlin. The Ukrainian side has not officially confirmed responsibility for this attack. The previous night, drones also attacked the Moscow and Leningrad regions.
Amid preparations for the parade, residents of Moscow are being warned about possible disruptions to mobile communication in the coming days.
Due to the escalation in the Middle East, trilateral negotiations between Ukraine, the USA, and Russia, which took place in January and February, have been postponed indefinitely. At the same time, Volodymyr Zelensky notes that dialogue between the parties is still possible.
Analysts from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) noted in March 2026 that Russian troops have not achieved significant successes on the front, and the prospect of a complete victory for them is not obvious. They also suggested that the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation, Valery Gerasimov, is trying to conceal insufficient progress during the spring-summer offensive of 2026.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, reported that Russia continues to suffer significant losses but does not abandon its plans to intensify offensive actions.