But as Mr Morrison shows in his technicolour chronicle of the city, beneath the petro-funded sheen, Moscow is a domain of purges, paranoia and ravenous power. History has shaped its character; equally,

Ukraine offered to begin a ceasefire on May 6, but the Kremlin rejected the proposal Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, commenting on the situation ahead of May 9, thanked Ukraine’s Defense Forces for the results of the long-range strikes on targets inside Russia and highlighted strikes on key facilities deep within the country.

Russia is hosting a scaled-down version of the parade this year, saying it won't display military equipment due to the war situation.

As the country heads into Victory Day, the economy is stalling, internet restrictions are growing and the Kremlin is fearing Ukrainian attacks.

Kremlin tightens security before Russia’s biggest national celebration on 9 May amid fears of Ukrainian drone strikes

Zelensky's warning: The Ukrainian leader called it a 'strange desire' for Russia-friendly officials to attend Moscow's parade and advised against it. Ceasefire doubts: Russia declared a May 8–10 truce, but Ukraine cites thousands of past violations and ...

Russian attacks killed more than 20 people across Ukraine on Tuesday, including 12 in one of the deadliest strikes this year, hours before the midnight start of an open-ended ceasefire proposed by Kyiv.