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Russian state media have reported Thursday that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio may attend Moscow's May 9 celebrations in Red Square to commemorate the end of World War Two. Zvezda, a TV channel of the Russian defense ministry, cited an unnamed diplomatic source that the U.S. might be represented by Rubio at the show piece event for the Kremlin which parades Russian military hardware. Newsweek has contacted the U.S. State Department and the Kremlin for a response.

The European Commission has issued a warning to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic that his expected visit to Russia for the May 9 Victory Day celebrations could seriously complicate Serbia’s accession process to the European Union. European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos conveyed this message during her recent visit to Belgrade, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media. According to European Commission spokesperson Guillaume Mercier, the warning was communicated directly to the Serbian president. “We warned Serbia that a visit to Moscow could complicate the process of negotiations and preparations for joining the EU. We expect Serbia to confirm its strategic priorities,” Mercier...

There will be a parade on May 9, said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, APA’s Moscow correspondent reports. Commenting on threats from Kyiv regarding the May 9 Parade in Moscow, the Kremlin spokesperson called Zelensky's threatening remarks unsuccessful.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not attend the May 9 parade, said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, APA's Moscow bureau reports. According to him, the Indian Prime Minister will not visit Moscow on May 9.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to Moscow to participate in the 80th anniversary celebrations of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War on May 9, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. "We expect the Chinese leader to attend. There will be a separate visit of Chairman Xi. To which we attach great importance and are preparing," the spokesman said while delivering a lecture at the educational marathon "Knowledge. First," News.Az reports, citing TASS.

All heads of state from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), except for Ukraine and Moldova, will attend the Victory Day parade in Moscow, said CIS Secretary General Sergey Lebedev, APA’s Moscow correspondent reports. "All CIS heads of state will participate in the May 9 Parade, except two... Unfortunately, Ukraine and Moldova will not attend. Nine heads of states will be present," Lebedev said, responding to a question about the participation of CIS leaders in the Moscow celebration.

68 soldiers of the 1st Army Officer School will represent the Vietnam People's Army in the parade marking the 80th anniversary of Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War, taking place on Red Square in Moscow, Russia on May 9. The 80-member delegation from the 1st Army Officer School is scheduled to leave for Russia on April 23. The parade group includes 73 soldiers, including 68 official members and 5 reserve members, along with leaders in charge, training instructors, doctors, interpreters and security guards. The soldiers participating in the parade are aged 19-30 and 1.8 m or taller. These are...

PRESIDENT Donald Trump has denied claims that he will visit Vladimir Putin in Moscow for the May 9 victory day parade. -snip- Trump has rubbished a report he will fly to Russia for Victory Day celebrations on May 9. It comes after French outlet Le Point claimed, citing Russian sources, that the Republican would be in attendance, marking the first visit by a US president since mad Vlad launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But President Trump was quick to squash the claim, responding "no, I'm not" upon being asked if he was to attend. He also...

Chinese President Xi Jinping has accepted Russia's invitation to attend the commemorations of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, TASS state news agency reported on Monday. "Chinese President Xi Jinping has accepted an invitation to take part in the celebrations on May 9 in Moscow on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War," TASS cited Russian ambassador to China, Igor Morgulov, as telling Russian state television.

MAD Vladimir Putin has been forced to pad out his pathetic parades with North Korean cannon fodder while Russian troops are being massacred on the frontline. Amongst the pomp, propaganda and weaponry, North Korean troops are to march through Moscow's Victory Day parade for the first time, according to insiders. -snip- Dozens of Putin's North Korean cannon fodder are to join the parade in May as the mad dictator desperately attempts to show a substantial military - despite the total casualties of Russian troops standing at over 771,000. Russian sources revealed news of North Korea's participation in the parade to...

Russian President Vladimir Putin has already begun initial preparations for his annual Victory Day military parade in May, and he is expecting a special guest from the U.S. for the big day, a Kremlin insider has said. -snip- Putin held a meeting on Wednesday to kickstart preparations for Victory Day, asking the heads of Russian regions and public organizations to "approach the upcoming events with conscience." One Kremlin source said it's clear that Russia must trumpet victory of some sort regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine, but officials are uncertain of the details.

A solitary, symbolic tank has featured in Russia’s annual 9 May military parade for the second year in a row as the country was forced to pare down its normal display of military might during a full-scale war in which it has suffered unprecedented losses over the last two years. The single tank to roll across Red Square as Vladimir Putin reviewed about 9,000 troops was a second world war-era T-34 carrying the banner that the Soviet Union used when it defeated Nazi Germany alongside other allies. The tank has gained iconic status, but is not in combat use and...

There was a striking lack of military hardware on display after major losses in Ukraine. VLADIMIR Putin has vowed Russia is "always" ready to strike the West and snubbed Britain in a snarling World War 2 rant at Russia's annual Victory Day parade. The Russian tyrant instead lavished praise on China and declared Russia was "combat ready" in these "difficult" times as nuclear missiles rumbled through Moscow's streets. -snip- However, today was a much pared-down parade indicating the strains of war. For the second year in a row, it featured just one measly tank - reportedly an 80-year-old T-34.

A rehearsal for Thursday's Victory Day military parade has been held in Moscow. -snip- Russia's defense ministry says more than 9,000 soldiers and over 70 items of weaponry and equipment will take part in Thursday's parade. However, authorities have decided that a procession of citizens holding pictures of deceased family members who fought in the war will be canceled for the second straight year. They cited security concerns. This year's Victory Day parade will be the third since Russia invaded Ukraine. Russian forces are currently stepping up their offensive in eastern Ukraine. Some people in Moscow said other countries in...

Natalia Kruglova last spoke to her husband, Pvt. Ivan Petrov, on Sept. 29. The Russian army conscript told Kruglova he had been ordered back to the front lines in southeastern Ukraine. Then he disappeared. Kruglova wrote to her husband’s commanding officers, the Defense Ministry and even military prosecutors in search of news, but to no avail. Weeks later, the army declared Petrov missing but offered no explanation of what had happened to him. “It’s as if no one owes you anything, no one cares,” Kruglova, 45, said in an interview from her home in the Russian far eastern city of...

All five Central Asian presidents are scheduled to attend a parade on Red Square on May 9 to commemorate the end of World War II in Europe in 1945, while the majority of the world's leaders continue to condemn Russia's ongoing unprovoked invasion of Ukraine launched in February 2022. Yury Ushakov, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, on May 7 said Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, and Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhammedov will attend the event in the Russian capital’s Red Square. Ushakov added that President Miguel Diaz-Canel of...

May 9 parades across other regions in Russia have been cancelled this year over 'security concerns'. VLADIMIR Putin paraded nuclear missile launchers, tanks and thousands of war-ready troops this morning ahead of his triumphant Victory Day event. -snip- Ahead of the patriotic event, Russia's fearsome intercontinental nuclear missiles were pulled through the capital's streets in a show of force to the West. Huge columns of troops marched towards the Red Square and even children in oversized battledress joined in the military festivities. The real events will be held on Thursday under intense security, with reports suggesting that Moscow's centrepiece show...

Russian President Vladimir Putin's meeting with an ally of the Wagner Group signals his struggle to address setbacks in the Ukraine conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin is taking decisive steps to address growing challenges as he seeks to regain control over his struggling military campaign in Ukraine. On May 2, Putin met with Alexei Dyumin, the governor of Russia's Tula Oblast, and a known associate of the Wagner Group, at his Novo-Ogaryovo residence in Moscow Oblast. The meeting has raised questions about the stability of Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu's position, signalling Putin's increasing desperation in the face of unmet...

Russia needs to up the number and quality of its weapons heading for Ukraine to maintain Moscow's push on Ukraine's defensive lines, Russia's top defense official has said, ahead of a likely summer offensive expected to start in the coming weeks. "To maintain the required pace of the offensive and ensure the build-up of the combat strength of troop groups for further actions, it is necessary to increase the volume and quality of weapons and military equipment supplied to the troops," Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said, according to comments published by Moscow on Wednesday.

Russia is intensifying its efforts to seize Chasiv Yar, a crucial stronghold in eastern Ukraine, as exhausted and under-equipped Ukrainian brigades struggle to hold the line while waiting for US military aid. -snip- Chasiv Yar is seen as a key prize for Moscow, with senior Ukrainian commanders claiming the Russian general staff has ordered its forces to seize it by May 9 when Russia celebrates the end of the second world war. -snip- It took the Russian military nearly a year to advance six kilometres from the ravaged city of Bakhmut to the edge of Chasiv Yar.