Overview

• Russia is set to commemorate the 80th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany with a grand military parade on May 9 in Moscow’s Red Square.
• Nearly 30 foreign leaders, including China’s Xi Jinping and Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, will attend, with troops from 13 countries participating.
• Ukraine and Russia exchanged drone strikes in the days leading up to the event, with attacks killing two and injuring eight in Kyiv and temporarily closing Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected Russia’s unilateral three-day ceasefire offer, calling it manipulative, while Kyiv continues to target Russian infrastructure.
• Moscow has ramped up security measures, including internet restrictions and anti-drone defenses, to safeguard the event and its high-profile attendees.