President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Russian forces in Ukraine were defending the Motherland from an "absolutely unacceptable threat," as he opened the annual parade marking Moscow's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
Red Square was filled with thousands of troops and members of the public who gathered at the military parade.
During a short speech, Putin condemned what he called external threats to weaken and split Russia, and repeated familiar arguments he used to justify its invasion of Ukraine - that NATO was creating threats right next to its borders.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has said it is Russia that is staging a "bloody re-enactment of Nazism" in Ukraine.
During Russia's now three-month invasion, millions of Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes and thousands of soldiers have been killed.
The New Arab is providing live updates of what's been happening on the ground and additional analysis on the conflict's significance.