Russia’s Victory Day Parade Begins

MOSCOW (AP) — A military parade has begun on Red Square in Moscow, marking the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. President Vladimir Putin and a host of foreign leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, attended the parade. Victory Day is celebrated in Russia on May 9, the country’s most important secular holiday. The Red Square parade and other ceremonies underline Moscow’s efforts to project its power and cement the alliances it has forged while seeking a counterbalance to the West amid the 3-year-old war in Ukraine. The festivities were overshadowed by reports of Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Moscow, disrupting service at the capital’s airports.