Russia and China mark victory in WWII as Ukraine war grinds on

Russia marked the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory in World War II on Friday with a parade attended by China's Xi Jinping amid tight security.

President Vladimir Putin, the longest-serving Kremlin chief since Josef Stalin, stood beside Xi, several dozen other leaders and Russian veterans on a roofed tribune beside Vladimir Lenin's mausoleum on Red Square as Russian troops marched past.

"We shall always remember that the opening of the Second Front in Europe after the decisive battles on the territory of the Soviet Union brought victory closer," Putin said. "We highly appreciate the contribution of the soldiers of the Allied armies, the members of the resistance, the courageous people of China, and all those who fought for a peaceful future to our common struggle."

Putin made no criticism of the West and referred only in passing to the Ukraine war, Europe's deadliest since World War Two, but it haunted the celebration.

More than 11,500 troops were lined up in ranks on Red Square, including 1,500 who have fought in Ukraine. Drones - the biggest technological innovation of the war - were paraded for the first time, as well as tanks and intercontinental Yars missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

MOSCOW PARADE

For Russians - and for many of the peoples of the former Soviet Union - May 9 is the most sacred date in the calendar, and Putin has sought to use memories of World War II to unite Russian society, especially amid the war in Ukraine.

The Kremlin says the attendance of Russian allies such as Xi, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and several dozen leaders from the former Soviet Union, Africa, Asia and Latin America shows Russia is not isolated even if Moscow's former WW2 Western allies want to stay away.

Chinese troops took part in the parade, and Putin shook hands with North Korean officers, praising them for their fighting skill. North Korean troops have helped Russia fight an incursion into its western Kursk region by Ukrainian forces seeking a bargaining chip in any peace talks.

Putin has sought to insulate Moscow from the grinding artillery and drone war being fought 600 km away in Ukraine, though Ukrainian drone attacks have in recent days disrupted air travel to the Russian capital.