Russia’s pared-back Victory Day parade signals battlefield struggles

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For the first time in 20 years, Russia’s annual Victory Day parade will take place without military hardware. Marking the defeat of Nazi Germany, tomorrow’s event is the country’s most important national holiday and serves as an outward display of prowess. But the apparent threat of Ukrainian attack and battlefield struggles has led to a pared-back version. The danger from Kyiv is real. On Monday, a drone struck an apartment four miles from the Kremlin. But Russia also needs tanks and missiles on the battlefield, having lost ground in Ukraine last month. This has not happened since 2024. Vladimir Putin’s falling approval rating suggests all is not well.