For the first time in nearly two decades, Russia's Victory Day parade on Red Square will feature no military hardware-no tanks, no ballistic missiles. Just soldiers. The scaled-back event underscores a stark reality: the Kremlin's war in Ukraine is not going according to plan.
Russian MP Yevgeny Popov told the BBC the tanks are needed on the battlefield, not on parade. The conflict, now in its fifth year, has surpassed the length of the Soviet Union's fight against Nazi Germany. Ukrainian drone strikes have reached Moscow, killing two in Cheboksary and damaging a luxury apartment building near the Kremlin. In response, Russia has restricted mobile internet across cities, citing security concerns.
Public sentiment shows growing fatigue: approval ratings for President Putin are falling, and citizens express irritation over internet restrictions and rising costs. One Russian fighter at a memorial ceremony declared, "Russia is a country of victors," but after more than four years, victory in Ukraine remains elusive.