North Korean troops join Putin’s scaled-back military parade as Ukraine agrees to temporary ceasefire

There were no neat rows of tanks or ballistic missile carriers rolling down the smooth cobbles of Moscow’s Red Square on Saturday, as Russia scaled back what is usually a grand militaristic Victory Day parade celebrating the Soviet Union’s role in defeating Nazi Germany

There were no neat rows of tanks or ballistic missile carriers rolling down the smooth cobbles of Moscow’s Red Square on Saturday, as Russia scaled back what is usually a grand militaristic Victory Day parade celebrating the Soviet Union’s role in defeating Nazi Germany.

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Instead, the parade was brief, with Russian President Vladimir Putin appearing amid tight security after a U.S.-led three-day ceasefire eased some concerns about Ukraine disrupting the occasion with drone attacks.

“Victory has always been and will be ours,” Putin said, addressing columns of troops. He vowed to fight on in Ukraine against “an aggressive force that is armed and supported by the entire bloc of NATO.”