Russia’s Pathetic Victory Day Parade: Putin Flees the Stage After 45-Minute Flop
Moscow’s annual Victory Day spectacle turned into a humiliating shadow of its former self this year. The parade on Red Square clocked in at a measly 45 minutes—the shortest in modern Russian history—and for the first time in 19 years, no military vehicles rolled through. Instead of showcasing strength, Putin presided over a scaled-back embarrassment forced by his grinding war in Ukraine.
Footage shows the Russian leader briskly walking off the viewing platform, surrounded by security, as if eager to escape the whole sorry affair. North Korean troops filled in as props, a telling sign of just how desperate the Kremlin has become for allies.
Ukrainian President Zelensky didn’t even need to lift a finger to spoil the event. A US-brokered three-day ceasefire kept Moscow safe from strikes, with reports suggesting Putin practically begged for the pause. What was once a chest-thumping display of Soviet glory has become a hollow ritual exposing Russia’s military exhaustion and isolation.
The Bear looks more like a paper tiger these days. Victory? Hardly. This was defeat dressed up in faded pomp.