Vladimir Putin has said the war in Ukraine was “coming to an end” - just hours after vowing victory in the conflict at a dramatically scaled-back parade in Moscow on Saturday.
"I think that the matter is coming to an end," Putin told reporters of the war, which started more than four years ago. He also said he would be willing to negotiate new security arrangements for Europe, and that his preferred negotiating partner would be Germany's former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.
His comments came after the annual Victory day parade on Moscow, which marks the defeat of Nazi Germany in the Second World War. During the event, the Russian leader had voiced that he was confident of victory in Ukraine.
“Victory has always been and will be ours,” Putin said, as columns of troops lined up on Red Square. “The key to success is our moral strength, courage and valour, our unity and ability to endure anything and overcome any challenge.”
Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree "permitting" Russia to hold the Victory military parade and said his forces wouldn’t target Red Square, after Donald Trump announced a three-day ceasefire.
The parade was a far cry from past years, where it has been used to show off Russia's vast military, including its nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Read MoreThe fear behind the fanfare: Putin’s paranoia amid Victory Day celebrations
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Key Points
- Putin hails Russian troops fighting in Ukraine, condemns Nato
- Ukraine's Zelensky 'permits' Moscow to hold Victory Day parade
- Which foreign leaders are attending Russia's Victory Day?
- North Korea's Kim calls ties with Russia 'top priority' in Victory Day message
- France arrests Ukrainian linked to Russian torture prison
Kyiv: Russia has suffered more than 1.34M casualties since its invasion of Ukraine
04:00 , Harriette BoucherRussia has lost more than 1,340,000 troops in the war with Ukraine.
In an update on Moscow’s military losses since, the ministry of defence said it had also lost 11,920 tanks, 41,712 artillery systems, 435, and 352 helicopters since its invasion in 2022.
On Friday alone, Ukraine claims it took out 1,080 personnel, 1,479 UAVs, and 82 artillery systems.
'I have lost everything... We need peace': Ukrainians welcome ceasefire but demand long-term solution
03:00 , Harriette BoucherUkrainians have welcomed a three-day ceasefire in the war with Russia, but say a long-term solution is urgently needed.
Kateryna Kizev, 22, who fled the frontline city of Kherson in the south and now lives in Cherkasy in central Ukraine, said: “On the one hand, this is very good because, honestly, the sleepless nights have gotten a bit tiresome.
“At least for a few days we will be able to sleep in peace and without the attacks.”
Oleksandr Boik, in Kharkiv, stated: “This ceasefire - for a day, or two or three - these are temporary measures. We need peace. It is the fifth year already. It is enough.
Another Kharkiv resident, Ramaz Tsytsyashvili, said he hoped that the ceasefire would open the way for more talks to end the war.
“I have lost everything... We need peace.
“And perhaps there will be a miracle and this temporary silence, this ceasefire, will hold up a bit and continue, and then step by step it will move to negotiations, and affairs will be solved in offices, not on the battlefield.”
World Of Trouble | Zelensky: Trump using up all his missiles on Iran risks leaving Ukraine short against Putin
02:00 , Harriette BoucherZelensky: 'Russia will not succeed in breaking Europe'
01:00 , Harriette BoucherVolodymyr Zelensky has said “Russia will not succeed in breaking Europe”, as he emphasised Ukraine’s plans to join the EU.
Following a phone call with António Costa, the leader of the European Council, the Ukrainian president said: “We will defend our independence and our people’s right to freely choose their path.
“And in doing so, we will also defend the right of all European peoples to live as they themselves wish.
“Russia will not succeed in breaking Europe or fracturing it – there have been many attempts, but all have failed. And none will succeed.
“We discussed with António our joint work on Ukraine’s further European integration – Ukraine will take its place as a full member of the European Union. We are preparing for the opening of clusters and further decisions.
“We also discussed recent steps in diplomacy and our arrangement, mediated by the United States, to carry out a prisoner exchange with Russia in a 1,000-for-1,000 format. I thank Europe for standing with Ukraine!”
The fear behind the fanfare: Putin’s paranoia amid Victory Day celebrations
00:00 , Harriette BoucherThe Independent’s Maira Butt writes:
Vladimir Putin used his Victory Day speech to claim confidence in Russia’s triumphs, as he presided over a dramatically scaled-back parade in Moscow on Saturday.
Addressing the crowd at the annual parade, which marks the defeat of Nazi Germany in the Second World War, the Russian leader voiced that he was confident of victory in Ukraine.
“Victory has always been and will be ours,” Putin said, as columns of troops lined up on Red Square. “The key to success is our moral strength, courage and valour, our unity and ability to endure anything and overcome any challenge.”
Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree “permitting” Russia to hold the military parade and said his forces wouldn’t target Red Square, after Donald Trump announced a three-day ceasefire.
Putin attempted to use his speech, which lasted less than 10 minutes, to project strength, claiming Russia would succeed in the Ukraine war thanks to its “moral strength, courage and valour”.
But the parade was a far cry from past years, when it had been used to show off Russia's vast military, including its nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Four years ago, Putin had stood grandly at a podium, surveying a legion of armoured military vehicles. Weeks earlier, he’d invaded neighbouring Ukraine, sparking a conflict that has dragged on ever since. During a defiant speech on that day, the Russian president launched an attack on Nato, Ukraine and a host of Western countries.
Surrounded by military hardware, he insisted that Russia was “fighting for the motherland, for her future, and so that nobody forgets the lessons of World War II”.
But this year things are different. For the first time in nearly two decades, those celebrations went ahead without any showy and heavy military hardware, amid new fears of long-range Ukrainian drone strikes that have been hitting deep inside Russia.
The fear behind the fanfare: Putin’s paranoia amid Victory Day celebrations
In pictures: Russian service members participate in the Victory Day military parade
23:00 , Harriette Boucher
Special dispatch: Ukrainian general’s rise from far-right agitator to war hero
22:00 , Harriette BoucherWorld affairs editor Sam Kiley meets the founder of Ukraine’s ultranationalist Azov movement, Andrii Biletskyi, now a decorated military brigadier general holding Russia back on its most aggressive line of attack in Donetsk province:
Ukrainian general’s rise from far-right agitator to war hero
Putin’s scaled-back parade shows Ukraine war has depleted Russian military
21:00 , Harriette BoucherRussian officials defended the decision to carry out this year's Victory Day parade in a slimmed-down form, without the usual display of weaponry such as tanks and missiles.
Officials said they need their war tanks to be on the battlefield, signalling that the Kremlin does not have enough weaponry to spare even for an hour's display.
"Our tanks are busy right now," Russian MP Yevgeny Popov told BBC.
"They are fighting. We need them more on the battlefield than on Red Square."
On being asked if the parade is being scaled back, he said: "What other choice do we have?"
"Nato countries, Ukraine and Great Britain's weapons, your king and your prime minister, are threatening us,” Popov told BBC’s Steve Rosenberg.
France arrests Ukrainian linked to Russian torture prison
20:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarFrench police have arrested a Ukrainian man charged with committing war crimes at the Russian-run Izolyatsia prison in Donetsk.
The man is suspected of having voluntarily collaborated with Russian officials from 2017 to 2019, while assisting the head of the prison in torturing detainees, Ukraine's prosecutor general Ruslan Kravchenko said. He has been living in France since 2021.
The torture prison was set up by Russian forces at the premises of a former factory and art centre, Izolyatsia, in Donetsk after capturing the city in 2014.
It swiftly became known as a site of illegal imprisonment and torture of many Ukrainian prisoners of war, along with activists and journalists, according to Kyiv Independent.
EU purchases from Russia’s largest natural gas field hit record £3bn
19:00 , Harriette BoucherThe European Union bought a record amount of gas from Russia's largest natural gas project in the first four months of the year as the Iran war pushes Europe back towards the fuel it has been trying to phase out.
The EU received 91 cargoes from Russia's Yamal LNG project between January and April, totalling 6.69 million tonnes – the highest volume for that period since the project was launched in December 2017, according to new analysis of shipping data published on Thursday by environmental group Urgewald.
The bloc paid an estimated €3.88bn (£3.25bn) for the gas over the four months, based on benchmark market prices.
More here:
EU purchases from Russia’s largest natural gas field hit record £3bn
Recap: North Korea's Kim calls ties with Russia 'top priority' in Victory Day message
18:07 , Harriette BoucherNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un reaffirmed his country's commitment to its mutual defence treaty with Russia in a message to president Vladimir Putin, congratulating Russia on the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War Two.
Kim reiterated North Korea's position to "give top priority" to its partnership with Russia and its commitment to "the implementation of the obligations of the inter-state treaty," according to KCNA.
Russia and North Korea in 2024 signed a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty" during a visit to Pyongyang by Putin. The pact includes a mutual defence provision.
North Korea sent an estimated 14,000 troops to fight with Russian forces in Kursk during the ongoing war in Ukraine. South Korean, Ukrainian and Western officials said those troops suffered heavy casualties, with more than 6,000 North Korean soldiers killed in the fighting.
Zelensky congratulates Hungary's new leader as Ukraine looks to reset ties
17:17 , Harriette BoucherVolodymyr Zelensky has congratulated Peter Magyar, who was sworn in as Hungary’s prime minister today.
With Viktor Orbán’s 16 years of power now over, Ukraine is looking to reset bilateral ties with the country.
“Ukraine is ready to deepen cooperation with Hungary and build strong relations between our countries based on good neighbourliness and respect for our people,” the Ukrainian leader said.
Watch: Mystery military sea drone washes ashore on Greek island
16:30 , Annabel BateA mystery armed unmanned sea drone washed ashore on a Greek island, with authorities investigating.
Footage shows fisherman towing the vessel, that was discovered inside a coastal cave on the holiday hotspot island of Lefkada, to a nearby harbour on Thursday (7 May).
It was moved on Friday to a naval base on the mainland for inspection, according to Greece’s public broadcaster ERT.
Ukraine has used drone boats in the Black Sea to fight Russian naval vessels, with Moscow having also developed maritime drones.
Authorities have not confirmed where the vessel originated, but Greek naval experts say its features resemble Ukrainian Magura-type drones which are explosive, remotely piloted ramming vessels.
Merz condemns Slovak PM's visit to Moscow
15:45 , Harriette BoucherFriedrich Merz has criticised the Slovak prime minister after he laid flowers at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier memorial just outside the Kremlin walls
The German chancellor said: “I deeply regret this, and we will discuss his visit to Moscow with him.”
Speaking at a meeting with Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin, Slovakia’s Robert Fico bemoaned what he called a new “Iron Curtain” in Europe that hampered trade, and emphasised the importance of Russia's energy supplies to Slovakia.
Putin hailed the Slovak leader for conducting a “sovereign” foreign policy and honouring the memory of fallen red army soldiers.
North Korea's Kim calls ties with Russia 'top priority' in Victory Day message
15:00 , Harriette BoucherNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un reaffirmed his country's commitment to its mutual defence treaty with Russia in a message to president Vladimir Putin, congratulating Russia on the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War Two.
Kim reiterated North Korea's position to "give top priority" to its partnership with Russia and its commitment to "the implementation of the obligations of the inter-state treaty," according to KCNA.
Russia and North Korea in 2024 signed a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty" during a visit to Pyongyang by Putin. The pact includes a mutual defence provision.
North Korea sent an estimated 14,000 troops to fight with Russian forces in Kursk during the ongoing war in Ukraine. South Korean, Ukrainian and Western officials said those troops suffered heavy casualties, with more than 6,000 North Korean soldiers killed in the fighting.
Europe Fear behind the fanfare: Putin’s unease amid Victory Day celebrations
14:30 , Harriette BoucherOn 9 May 2022, Vladimir Putin stood grandly at a podium in Moscow’s Red Square, surveying a legion of armoured military vehicles for the country’s annual Victory Day parade, held in honour of the moment Russia joined forces with the West to defeat Nazi Germany.
Weeks earlier, he’d invaded his neighbour Ukraine, sparking a conflict that has ground on for more than four years. During a defiant speech on that day, the Russian president launched an attack on Nato, Ukraine and a host of western countries.
Surrounded by military hardware, he insisted that Russia was “fighting for the motherland, for her future, and so that nobody forgets the lessons of World War II”.
But this year things are different. For the first time in nearly two decades, those celebrations will be scaled back dramatically without any showy and heavy military hardware, amid new fears of long-range Ukrainian drone strikes that have been hitting deep inside Russia.
Read here:
The fear behind the fanfare: Putin’s paranoia amid Victory Day celebrations
Recap: Zelensky vows to defend European future on 'Europe Day'
14:00 , Harriette BoucherAs the Victory Day parade commenced in Russia, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky shared a post on social media to commemorate Europe Day.
He said on X: "Today is Europe Day. And Ukraine marks it not formally or with banners, but truly knowing that we are already an inseparable part of the European family.
"We defend Ukraine, our independence, our future, and thereby we in Ukraine defend our Europe, a part of which Ukraine has been and will be."
'I have lost everything... We need peace': Ukrainians welcome ceasefire but demand long-term solution
13:30 , Harriette BoucherUkrainians have welcomed a three-day ceasefire in the war with Russia, but say a long-term solution is urgently needed.
Kateryna Kizev, 22, who fled the frontline city of Kherson in the south and now lives in Cherkasy in central Ukraine, said: “On the one hand, this is very good because, honestly, the sleepless nights have gotten a bit tiresome.
“At least for a few days we will be able to sleep in peace and without the attacks.”
Oleksandr Boik, in Kharkiv, stated: “This ceasefire - for a day, or two or three - these are temporary measures. We need peace. It is the fifth year already. It is enough.
Another Kharkiv resident, Ramaz Tsytsyashvili, said he hoped that the ceasefire would open the way for more talks to end the war.
“I have lost everything... We need peace.
“And perhaps there will be a miracle and this temporary silence, this ceasefire, will hold up a bit and continue, and then step by step it will move to negotiations, and affairs will be solved in offices, not on the battlefield.”
In pictures: Putin at Victory Day celebrations in Moscow
13:00 , Harriette Boucher
What security measures are in place at Russia's Victory Day celebrations?
12:30 , Harriette BoucherSecurity was tight in Moscow as Vladimir Putin spoke at a Red Square parade.
Victory Day parades on Red Square have involved a broad array of heavy weapons — from armoured vehicles to nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles — every year since 2008.
Smaller parades are held elsewhere across the country, but this time many of them have also been pared down or even canceled altogether for security reasons.
The authorities on Saturday ordered restrictions on all mobile internet access and text messaging services in the Russian capital, citing the need to ensure public safety.
The government has methodically tightened internet censorship and established increasingly stringent controls over online activities, causing rumblings and rare public expressions of discontent.
Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of ceasefire violations
12:06 , Harriette BoucherRussia has claimed that Ukraine has repeatedly violated the ceasefire agreement on its first day, but insisted the three-day truce was still holding.
Ukraine accused Russia of violating a ceasefire declared by Kyiv earlier this week after it launched drone attacks on multiple cities.
France arrests Ukrainian linked to Russian torture prison
12:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarFrench police have arrested a Ukrainian man charged with committing war crimes at the Russian-run Izolyatsia prison in Donetsk.
The man is suspected of having voluntarily collaborated with Russian officials from 2017 to 2019, while assisting the head of the prison in torturing detainees, Ukraine's prosecutor general Ruslan Kravchenko said. He has been living in France since 2021.
The torture prison was set up by Russian forces at the premises of a former factory and art centre, Izolyatsia, in Donetsk after capturing the city in 2014.
It swiftly became known as a site of illegal imprisonment and torture of many Ukrainian prisoners of war, along with activists and journalists, according to Kyiv Independent.
Kremlin says ceasefire in Ukraine war is for three days, not for longer
11:39 , Harriette BoucherThe ceasefire in the war between Ukraine and Russia will not extend past three days, despite Donald Trump’s wishes, a Kremlin aide has said.
Yuri Ushakov said on Saturday that the agreement is meant to last for three days, not for longer.
It comes after Trump told reporters: “I'd like to see a big extension.”
The US president said he hoped the ceasefire was “the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought war”.
Oldest living World War Two veteran attends Victory Day parade
11:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe oldest living veteran of World War Two is in attendance at the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Russia.
Kirill Semyonov is 103 years old, TASS news agency reported.
He was seated next to Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Victory Day celebrated in the Donetsk region of Russian-controlled Ukraine
11:21 , Harriette Boucher
Russian small businesses feeling the pinch of Putin’s internet crackdown
15:15 , Harriette BoucherRussian dogwear entrepreneur Natalia Kukovinets constantly switches messaging apps, a direct consequence of the Kremlin’s widening internet crackdown.
Her struggle to reach customers highlights how web-dependent businesses are suffering as restrictions on Telegram, VPNs, and mobile internet shutdowns affect much of Russia this year.
These unpredictable outages pose a particular headache for small companies, with billions of dollars in digital sales at risk.
Despite state efforts to control its use, Telegram remains vital. It has been the sole sales source for Ms Kukovinets’s Wag’n Tails brand since Instagram was restricted in 2022 and WhatsApp in February.
"Telegram is basically everything when it comes to client communication," said Kukovinets from her Moscow workshop, where she meticulously crafts embroidered hats and clothes for dog-lovers. Yet, the platform is increasingly unreliable.
"It has become harder to track incoming requests. It does not work without a VPN turned on, and notifications often do not come through," she explained, wearing a custom t-shirt declaring: 'Peace, friendship, puppy'.
Her plight is far from unique. State news agency Interfax reported last September that around 2.9 million small-to-medium-sized firms and 14.1 million self-employed individuals rely on messaging apps for business, underscoring the widespread impact of these digital restrictions.
Small businesses feeling the pinch of Putin’s internet crackdown
Kremlin says there is a very long way to go before reaching a peace deal with Ukraine - report
11:00 , Harriette BoucherVladimir Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, has admitted there is a very long way to go before a peace deal is reached with Ukraine, Russia news agency Tass has reported.
A three-day ceasefire in the war between Moscow and Kyiv kicked off today.
Putin lays flowers at Tomb of Unknown Solider
11:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarRussian leader Vladimir Putin and other foreign leaders laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier memorial outside the Kremlin walls
EU purchases from Russia’s largest natural gas field hit record £3bn
10:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe European Union bought a record amount of gas from Russia's largest natural gas project in the first four months of the year as the Iran war pushes Europe back towards the fuel it has been trying to phase out.
The EU received 91 cargoes from Russia's Yamal LNG project between January and April, totalling 6.69 million tonnes – the highest volume for that period since the project was launched in December 2017, according to new analysis of shipping data published on Thursday by environmental group Urgewald.
The bloc paid an estimated €3.88bn (£3.25bn) for the gas over the four months, based on benchmark market prices.
More here.
EU purchases from Russia’s largest natural gas field hit record £3bn
In pictures: Russia marks Victory Day with parades across country
10:28 , Harriette Boucher
North Korean troops march in Victory Day parade for first time
10:16 , Harriette BoucherFor the first time in history, North Korean troops have taken part in Russia’s Victory Day parade.
In a tribute to the soldiers sent to fight alongside Moscow forces against Ukrainians in Russia's Kursk region, North Korean servicemen also marched on Saturday.
Pyongyang sent around 14,000 troops to fight with Russian forces in Kursk.
South Korean, Ukrainian and Western officials said those troops suffered heavy casualties, with more than 6,000 North Korean soldiers killed in the fighting.
Zelensky vows to defend European future on 'Europe Day'
10:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarAs the Victory Day parade commenced in Russia, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky shared a post on social media to commemorate Europe Day.
He said on X: "Today is Europe Day. And Ukraine marks it not formally or with banners, but truly knowing that we are already an inseparable part of the European family.
"We defend Ukraine, our independence, our future, and thereby we in Ukraine defend our Europe, a part of which Ukraine has been and will be."
Russia's Victory Day parade concludes with aerial flypast
09:40 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarRussia's Victory Day parade this morning concluded with an aerial flypast of military aircraft over Moscow.
The display included the 'Kuban Diamond' formation, which saw Su-30 and MiG-29 fighter jets flying close range, according to Russian Today.
Six Su-25 attack aircraft released colored smoke in the white, blue and red of the Russian flag across the capital to conclude the parade.
Putin claims Russian cause in Ukraine is 'just'
09:20 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarVladimir Putin used his speech to voice his confidence of achieving "victory" in Ukraine as he oversaw a military parade on Red Square commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
Putin said his soldiers were fighting an "aggressive force" backed by all of Nato and that his army's cause was "just".
"And despite this, our heroes move forward," he said, adding later: "I firmly believe that our cause is just."
Russian service members take park in Victory Day parade
09:06 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Putin hails Russian troops fighting in Ukraine
08:44 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarVladimir Putin has hailed Russian troops fighting in Ukraine, declaring that they "face an aggressive force that is armed and supported by the entire bloc of Nato."
"Victory has always been and will be ours," Putin said as columns of troops lined up on Red Square.
"The key to success is our moral strength, courage and valor, our unity and ability to endure anything and overcome any challenge."
Putin says Russian soldiers have suffered 'huge losses'
08:35 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarRussian president Vladimir Putin has concluded his speech, which lasted less than 10 minutes.
He used the speech to congratulate his troops and the country’s people on the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany.
"Our soldiers suffered huge losses, made huge sacrifices in the name of freedom and dignity of the peoples of Europe,” Putin said.
Oldest living World War Two veteran attends Victory Day parade
08:22 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe oldest living veteran of World War Two is in attendance at the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Russia.
Kirill Semyonov is 103 years old, TASS news agency reported.
He was seated next to Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Vladimir Putin begins his speech
08:16 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Pakistan congratulates Putin on Victory Day
08:10 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarPakistan's president Asif Ali Zardari congratulated Russian leader Vladimir Putin on the 81st Victory Day.
“In a message, conveyed on behalf of the Government and the people of Pakistan, the President noted that victory in the Great Patriotic War remains a solemn and enduring reminder of the immense sacrifices made by the Russian people in the defence of their homeland and in the global struggle against fascism,” his office said.
Russia's 81st Victory Day military parade begins
08:10 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarRussia's 81st Victory Day military parade began at 10am this morning as the three-day ceasefire with Ukraine came into force.
Despite the ceasefire, Russia is holding its most scaled-back Victory Day parade due to the threat of attack from Ukraine.
President Vladimir Putin has arrived at Red Square and will deliver a speech shortly.
Vladimir Putin has arrived at Red Square
07:58 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarVladimir Putin has arrived at Red Square in Moscow for the Victory Day military parade.
He was accompanied by Belarusian leader Aleksander Lukashenko.
North Korean servicemen stand in formation before the Victory Day military parade in Moscow
07:54 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
LIVE: Putin holds Victory Day parade
07:49 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarNorth Korea's Kim calls ties with Russia 'top priority' in Victory Day message
07:44 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un reaffirmed his country's commitment to its mutual defence treaty with Russia in a message to president Vladimir Putin, congratulating Russia on the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War Two.
Kim reiterated North Korea's position to "give top priority" to its partnership with Russia and its commitment to "the implementation of the obligations of the inter-state treaty," according to KCNA.
Russia and North Korea in 2024 signed a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty" during a visit to Pyongyang by Putin. The pact includes a mutual defence provision.
North Korea sent an estimated 14,000 troops to fight with Russian forces in Kursk during the ongoing war in Ukraine. South Korean, Ukrainian and Western officials said those troops suffered heavy casualties, with more than 6,000 North Korean soldiers killed in the fighting.
Russia flies replica of historic Victory Banner over occupied Ukraine
07:15 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarRussia's defence ministry has broadcast footage of its troops flying a drone with a replica of the historic "Victory Banner" above areas captured from Ukraine in the eastern Donbas region.
The Victory Banner was erected by Red Army soldiers atop the Reichstag building in Berlin in 1945.
The red flags were also raised in Krasnoarmeysk, Grishino and Seversk in occupied Donetsk to “symbolise the unbreakable bond between generations and fidelity to the heroic traditions of our Fatherland,” the ministry said.
Victory Day military parade about to begin in Russia
07:07 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Russia readies to hold muted Victory Day parade
06:57 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarForeign dignitaries have begun arriving at Red Square in Moscow for the start of today's Victory Day parade, where Russian leader Vladimir Putin will address the public and military.
Additional security personnel were seen scouting the area this morning, while military officials took their positions for a march.
The parade will begin at 10am local time, coinciding with the beginning of the three-day ceasefire announced by Donald Trump yesterday.
Which foreign leaders are attending Russia's Victory Day?
06:50 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarSecurity was tight in Moscow as president Vladimir Putin was set to speak this morning at a Red Square parade commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
Putin, in power for more than a quarter-century, has used Victory Day, Russia's most important secular holiday, to showcase the country's military might and rally support for his military action in Ukraine, now in its fifth year.
But this year, for the first time in nearly two decades, the parade will take place without tanks, missiles and other heavy weapons, aside from a traditional flyover of combat jets.
Malaysia's King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, Laos president Thongloun Sisoulith, Kazakhstan's president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbekistan's president Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Belarus' authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko are set to attend the festivities in the Russian capital.
Prime minister Robert Fico of Slovakia, a European Union member, will meet Putin and lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier memorial just outside the Kremlin walls.
Russian security personnel patrol ahead of Victory Day parade
06:42 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
