Vladimir Putin has said that Russia’s intervention in Ukraine had been necessary because the West was “preparing for the invasion of our land, including Crimea”.
“Nato is actively pursuing our territory. That is absolutely unacceptable to us. We are talking about neo-Nazi’s in Ukraine that the US and its partners are working with,” he said.
“Ukraine is receiving the most modern weaponry from Nato. The decision for this special military operation was forced and was the only correct decision.”
Mr Putin was presiding over a parade in Moscow’s Red Square of troops, tanks, rockets and intercontinental ballistic missiles, making a speech that could offer clues to the future of the war.
You can watch the parade and listen to commentary from the Telegraph’s defence and security editor Dominic Nicholls and deputy foreign editor Theo Merz at the top of this live blog.
Follow the latest updates below.
08:27 AM
Parade begins in Minsk
A parade has now begun in the Belarussian capital of Minsk, with Alexander Lukashenko, the country’s dictator, presiding over proceedings.
The festivities have ended in Moscow, with attention now switching to Minsk.
08:23 AM
Four missiles ‘hit Odesa area’ in southern Ukraine
Ukraine’s military has said that four high-precision Onyx missiles fired from the Russian-controlled Crimea peninsula had struck the Odesa area in southern Ukraine, but gave no other details.
The military had earlier warned they were expecting Russian missile strikes as Moscow marks Victory Day.
08:20 AM
Putin departs Red Square after the parade, in pictures
08:16 AM
Troops who fought in Ukraine join parade
08:15 AM
Ben Wallace condemns Russian military top brass
Back here in Britain, the defence minister has called out “the absurdity” of Russia’s bemedalled military top brass at the annual Victory Day parade in Moscow, highlighted by President Vladimir Putin’s speech.
Putin addressed a vast parade on Red Square in Moscow for a public holiday celebrating Soviet victory in World War II, as the Russian armed forces have suffered major losses in Ukraine.
Ben Wallace, himself a former soldier, is due to give a speech at the National Army Museum later today.
“All professional soldiers should be appalled at the behaviour of the Russian Army,” he will say, according to excerpts released in advance by his department.
“Not only are they engaged in an illegal invasion and war crimes but their top brass have failed their own rank and file to the extent they should be court martialled.”
Mr Wallace said he wanted to “call out the absurdity of Russian generals – resplendent in their manicured parade uniforms and weighed down by their many medals”, saying they were “utterly complicit in Putin’s hijacking of their forebears’ proud history of… repelling fascism”.
“Through the invasion of Ukraine, Putin and his inner circle of generals are now mirroring fascism and tyranny of 77 years ago, repeating the errors of the last century’s totalitarian regime.”
08:09 AM
TV coverage shows few Russian politicians
As noted by Dominic Nicholls, very few Russian government figures have been shown on the broadcast so far.
Sergei Shoigu, the defence minister, has been featured prominently alongside Putin, but foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin have not been shown up to this point.
08:02 AM
Putin heads off for a stroll
The Russian president has left his viewing platform and will now inspect his displayed military on foot.
He has been joined for his walk along by defence minister Sergei Shoigu.
He will then head to the tomb of the unknown warrior, where he will lay a wreath.
08:00 AM
Vladimir Putin arrives for parade, in pictures
07:58 AM
Nuclear weapons paraded
The Russians have paraded their nuclear weapons in Red Square, a move that is not unusual at these annual parades.
The weapon was demonstrated in the form of a massive intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which was carried on a massive low loader.
Despite being a huge show of strength, parading nuclear weapons is not considered an escalation by the West.
07:49 AM
Military equipment begins rolling through Red Square
07:47 AM
Sweden’s ruling party to announce Nato stance May 15
Away from Moscow, Sweden’s ruling Social Democrats has said the party would announce on May 15 its position on whether the country should apply for Nato membership.
A decision in favour of joining would in all likelihood pave the way for Sweden to submit a membership bid.
“The party will announce its position on May 15,” which would be Sunday, party spokeswoman Julia Grabe told AFP.
If the Social Democrats support joining, there would be a clear parliamentary majority for an application, especially if neighbouring Finland – where a decision is also expected in the coming days – were to apply for membership of the US-led military alliance.
Sweden and Finland have been militarily non-aligned for decades, but public opinion in both countries has shifted following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with support for membership soaring, according to polls.
07:45 AM
Russian online TV schedule hacked
Hackers temporarily switched the name of every programme on the Russian online TV schedule to highlight Russian war crimes in Ukraine, reports James Kilner.
The hack came on the day that Vladimir Putin hosted a Victory Day parade in Red Square, Moscow.
Instead of advertising the various Victory Day parades and programmes that are so important to the Kremlin’s propaganda machine, the programme headlines on Russia’s First Channel said: “On your hands is the blood of thousands of Ukrainians and their hundreds of murdered children. TV and the authorities are lying. No to war.”
The Kremlin uses its control of TV to pump out propaganda and it has been broadcasting wall-to-wall coverage of what it portrays as Russia’s glorious defence against a Nazi-controlled Ukraine.
In Ukraine, Russian soldiers have been accused of raping women in villages that they captured and shooting dead dozens of civilians.
Various hacker groups have targeted Russian infrastructure since the start of its war in Ukraine on Feb. 24.
07:41 AM
Air element of parade cancelled
The air element of the military parade has been cancelled due to “bad weather”, according to Russian state media.
The move is a surprise, as there had been rehearsals of the air element up until yesterday. It had been expected that some MIG-31 fighter jets would fly over Red Square in the ‘Z’ formation.
Looking at the feed from Moscow, the skies are cloudy, but conditions don’t look too bad. It was expected that the Russian military would be depleted today, given the large loss of equipment in the Ukraine conflict so far.
07:37 AM
Donbas volunteers ‘fighting for Motherland’
Russian President Vladimir Putin also said that troops and volunteers fighting in the eastern Ukrainian Donbas region were fighting for their Motherland.
“You are fighting for your Motherland, its future,” he told them, speaking at the annual parade on Moscow’s Red Square marking the anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two.
“The death of every soldier and officer is painful for us,” he said. “The state will do everything to take care of these families.”
Putin also told thousands of troops gathered in Moscow’s Red Square that Russian forces in Ukraine were continuing the battle against Nazism, but that it was important “to do everything so that the horror of a global war does not happen again.”
07:34 AM
Putin avoids escalating conflict to war
One element notable by its absence from Vladimir Putin’s speech was the fact that he did to use it escalate the conflict into a war, our Defence & Security editorDominic Nicholls noted.
While Putin was quick to address the “special military operation” in Ukraine, he has still stopped short of labelling the conflict a war.
Putin did, however, attempt to justify the invasion by saying Nato was planning to supply nuclear weapons to Ukraine.
“There was open preparation for a punitive operation in the Donbas, for an invasion of our historical lands, including Crimea. In Kyiv, they announced the possible acquisition of nuclear weapons and Nato began the active military development of the territories adjacent to us,” he said.
“Moreover, directly at our borders. Everything indicated that a clash with the Nazis and Bandera (terrorists), on whom the United States and junior partners would back, would be inevitable. “
07:32 AM
Vladimir Putin compares war in Ukraine to other historic fights
Vladimir Putin compared the war in Ukraine to other Russian wars through the ages as a defence of the homeland.
“The defence of her homeland, when her fate was being decided, has always been sacred,” he said.
“With such feelings of genuine patriotism, they rose for the fatherland, militiamen of Minim and Pozharsky, went on the attack in the Borodino field, fought with the enemy near Moscow and Leningrad, Putin and Minsk, Stalingrad and Kurs, Sevastopol and Kharkov.”
“Now, these days, you are fighting for our people in the Donbass, for security our homeland – Russia.”
07:29 AM
‘We are facing a band of terrorists’ – Vladimir Putin
The Russian president concluded his speech saying Russia is fighting a “band of terrorists” in Ukraine.
“We understand that facing us are bands of international terrorists,” he said.
“All the soldiers and officers fighting in Ukraine are heroes.”
Mr Putin the signed off with “For Russia, for Victory, Ura!” Soldiers shout back “Ura!” and the national anthem starts and then a multi-gun salute.
07:27 AM
Vladimir Putin addresses parade
07:20 AM
‘Nato is actively pursuing our territory’ – Vladimir Putin
The Russian president continued his address to the parade, saying the whole nation has a “duty” to preserve the memory of the Second World War generation, who allowed the Soviet people to emerge victorious.
“Russia has always supported a system of equal global security. In recent years, we have tried to enter into an honest dialogue, but people did not want to listen to us. They had different plans, and we see that now,” he said.
“Nato is actively pursuing our territory. That is absolutely unacceptable to us. We are talking about neo-Nazi’s in Ukraine that the US and its partners are working with.”
“Ukraine is receiving the most modern weaponry from Nato. The decision for this special military operation was forced and was the only correct decision.”
“The US spoke after the fall of the Soviet Union about exceptionalism, but we are a different country with different character. We have respect for all people and cultures.”
07:16 AM
Sergei Shoigu addresses Vladimir Putin
The Russian defence secretary has now left his vehicle to greet Vladimir Putin, telling the Russian president the parade is now ready to begin.
Mr Putin then stepped up to the podium and addresses the parade. He congratulated his military officers on marking Victory Day and remembered the sacrifice the Russian people made during the Second World War.
07:14 AM
Russian troops begin the parade
07:13 AM
‘Festive’ atmosphere expected across Russia
The Telegraph’s former Russia correspondent Theo Merz says that Victory Day is often a joyful occassion for the Russian people, marking the end of Russia’s long winter and heralding the arrival of spring.
Most ordinary Russians “will not be watching the parade”, he says, instead choosing to enjoy the public holiday.
“Not everyone buys into this display of military might. It’s not quite as sabre-rattling for ordinary Russians as we see in the West,” he said.
07:08 AM
Russian defence minister joins parade
Sergei Shoigu, the Russian defence minister, is the first official to take part in the parade, rolling through Red Square in a convertible car.
Mr Shoigu has begun making public appearances again after stepping back from the public eye in the initial weeks of the war, ostensibly for health reasons.
07:02 AM
Victory Day parade begins in Moscow
To mark the anniversary of the conclusion of the Second World War, a large-scale military parade is under way in Moscow’s Red Square.
The parade marks the Soviet Union’s role in the war, in which 27 millions Soviets lost their lives. In recent years, it has also been used as a mechanism for displaying Russia’s military might.
06:57 AM
Vladimir Putin arrives for Victory Day parade
Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has arrived in Moscow’s Red Square for the large-scale military parade.
He shook hands with generals and veterans as he took his seat for proceedings. The parade is expected to start in the next couple of minutes.
06:48 AM
Russia has ‘enough missiles and munitions’
Russia has enough high-precision missiles and ammunition to fulfil all the tasks assigned to the country’s armed forces, the Interfax news agency quoted Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov as saying.
A senior Pentagon official said in March that Russia, which sent thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 in what it calls a special military operation, was running out of precision guided munitions.
This intelligence was echoed this morning by the British MoD (see our post at 7:12am)
06:39 AM
Road to victory difficult but ‘we will win’ – Volodymyr Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, marking victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, has said his country was fighting for a new victory and would win its war with Russia.
“The road to it is difficult, but we have no doubt that we will win,” he said in a statement.
“Today we are waging war on this path and we will not give anyone a single piece of our land … and we will not give anyone a single piece of our history,” he said.
“We are proud of our ancestors who, together with other nations in the anti-Hitler coalition, defeated Nazism. And we will not allow anyone to annex this victory, we will not allow it to be appropriated.”
He added: “There are no shackles that can bind our free spirit. There is no occupier who can take root in our free land. There is no invader who can rule over our free people. Sooner or later we win.”
06:36 AM
Ukraine today, in pictures
06:24 AM
EU should seize Russian reserves to rebuild Ukraine – Josep Borrell
The European Union should consider seizing frozen Russian foreign exchange reserves to help pay for the cost of rebuilding Ukraine after the war, its foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in an interview with the Financial Times.
The EU and its western allies have put curbs on the Russian central bank’s international reserves since the country began its invasion of Ukraine, actions Moscow describes as a “special military operation”.
Mr Borrell told the newspaper it would be logical for the EU to do what the United States did with Afghan central bank assets after the Taliban took over the Asian nation.
“We have the money in our pockets, and someone has to explain to me why it is good for the Afghan money and not good for the Russian money,” Mr Borrell said.
Washington froze the Afghan funds after the military takeover by the Taliban and plans to use some to help the Afghan people while holding the rest to possibly satisfy terrorism-related lawsuits against the Islamist militants.
06:16 AM
Russia is developing ‘new-generation’ hypersonic missiles
Russia is developing new-generation hypersonic missiles to carry out strikes from air, land and sea, the Interfax news agency quoted Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov as saying on Monday.
06:12 AM
Russia’s stores of precision missiles ‘heavily depleted’
05:48 AM
Russian missile strikes ‘highly probable’ on Victory Day
Ukraine’s military is warning that there is a “high probability of missile strikes” on Monday even as Russia holds its Victory Day parade in Moscow.
The Ukrainian military’s general staff also said that in Russian-controlled areas of Zaporizhzhia, Russian troops had begun the “seizure of personal documents from the local population without good reason.”
Ukraine said Russian troops seized the documents to force the local people to take part in Victory Day commemorations there.
Ukraine’s military also warned that Russia had located some 19 battalion tactical groups in Russia’s Belgorod region, just across the border. Those groups likely consist of some 15,200 troops with tanks, missile batteries and other weaponry.
04:51 AM
Canada to help Ukraine find options to export grain
Canada will help Ukraine work out options on how to export stored grain to uphold global food security that has been shaken by Russia’s invasion of the country.
Nearly 25 million tonnes of grains are stuck in Ukraine, unable to leave the country, due to infrastructure challenges and blocked Black Sea ports including Mariupol, a UN food agency official said last week.
“We know people around the world are going to be starving because of the actions of Russia,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in an interview late on Sunday.
“There is grain waiting to be shipped in Ukraine. We have to make sure that Russia doesn’t prevent the grain that the world needs from getting out to the world.”
03:59 AM
Japan will take time to phase out Russian oil, says Kishida
Japan will take time to phase out Russian oil imports after agreeing on a ban with other G7 nations to counter Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Fumio Kishida said on Monday.
The G7 nations committed to the move “in a timely and orderly fashion” at an online meeting on Sunday to put further pressure on Vladimir Putin, although members such as resource-poor Japan depend heavily on Russian fuel.
“For a country heavily dependent on energy imports, it’s a very difficult decision. But G7 coordination is most important at a time like now,” Japan’s prime minister told reporters, repeating comments he made at the G7 meeting.
“As for the timing of the reduction or stoppage of oil imports, we will consider it while gauging the actual situation,” he said.
“We will take our time to take steps towards a phase-out.” He did not elaborate.
03:29 AM
UN ‘appalled’ by attack on school
The United Nations chief said he is “appalled” at the reported attack on a school in the Ukrainian town of Bilohorivka, where many people were apparently seeking shelter from fighting.
At least 60 people are believed to be have been killed by the Russian strike in eastern Ukraine.
A UN spokesman said on Sunday that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterates that civilians and civilian infrastructure must be spared under international law.
Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said: “This war must end, and peace must be established in line with the Charter of the United Nations and international law. The United Nations and its humanitarian partners in Ukraine will continue supporting those whose lives have been shattered by war.”
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03:05 AM
G7 to step up pressure on Putin, says PM
G7 leaders agreed that the world must intensify economic pressure on Vladimir Putin in any way possible, Downing Street said on Sunday after the Prime Minister addressed the group.
Boris Johnson said “the world must go further and faster to support Ukraine,” No 10 said after the call, which also included Volodymyr Zelensky.
“Ukraine needed to receive military equipment that allowed them to not just hold ground in Ukraine, but recapture it,” Mr Johnson told the leaders. It comes after the UK pledged another £1.3 billion in military support for Ukraine.
02:14 AM
In pictures: Last civilians leave Azovstal steel mill
02:06 AM
Evacuee describes Azovstal horror
A 69-year-old woman who had been holed up in the Azovstal steelworks since March 10 has described the terror of sheltering beneath the plant.
“It was terrible in the bunkers,” evacuee Lyubov Andropova said.
“Water would run down from the ceilings. There was mould everywhere. We were worried for the children, for their lungs.”
She feared the “bunker would collapse” as the shelling was constant.
“Everything shook, we didn’t go out.”
12:30 AM
Evacuees escape battle for Azovstal
Buses carrying some of the last weary civilian evacuees from the besieged Azovstal steelworks reached Ukrainian-controlled territory on Sunday – the culmination of an international effort to extricate people trapped in bunkers under the Mariupol plant.
The convoy arrived in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia after dark, carrying around 175 evacuees. They included some 40 people who had been holed up for weeks alongside Ukrainian forces under heavy bombardment in Azovstal’s vast network of underground shelters.
Many children and elderly people were among the exhausted-looking arrivals, who were shepherded off the buses and into a large tent where they were offered tea and a hot meal.
“I just want to live and start again… Everything I have is here,” said Yegor Chekhonadsky, pointing to a cluster of bags at his feet.
12:03 AM
Mine-sniffing dog presented with award
Volodymyr Zelensky presented Ukraine’s famous mine-sniffing dog Patron and his owner with a medal on Sunday to recognise their dedicated service since Russia’s invasion.
The Jack Russell terrier has been credited with detecting more than 200 explosives and preventing their detonation since the start of the war, quickly becoming a canine symbol of Ukrainian patriotism.
Ukraine’s president made the award at a news conference in Kyiv with Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister. Patron barked and wagged his tail, prompting laughter from the audience. Mr Trudeau patted his pockets as though looking for a dog treat.
“Today, I want to award those Ukrainian heroes who are already clearing our land of mines. And together with our heroes, a wonderful little sapper – Patron – who helps not only to neutralise explosives, but also to teach our children the necessary safety rules in areas where there is a mine threat,” Mr Zelensky said.
11:25 PM
Today’s top stories
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Vladimir Putin is “mirroring” the fascism of Nazi Germany, Ben Wallace will say on Monday – as the Russian president holds a massive military parade to galvanise his war effort
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Russia’s “doomsday plane” designed to protect Vladimir Putin in the event of a nuclear attack will make its first appearance in a decade at Moscow’s Victory Day parade
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Western officials say Putin could use his speech on Victory Day to expand the offensive in Ukraine and refer to it for the first time as a “war”, instead of the widely-ridiculed “special military operation”
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On Sunday, Putin sought to compare the illegal invasion of Ukraine to Russia’s triumph in the Second World War, as he referred to Ukrainians as “Nazi filth”
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German authorities banned the display of Ukrainian flags near memorials in Berlin over the weekend as police said they did not want sentiment at Vladimir Putin’s war to “spill over” into Second World War commemorations
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At least 60 people are feared dead in eastern Ukraine after a Russian airstrike on a village school on Saturday evening
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Several Western leaders travelled to the Ukraine over the weekend, including Justin Trudeau, the Canadian president, and Jill Biden, the US First Lady. Bono and the Edge, from U2, also visited Kyiv, where they performed a gig in a subway station
