Victory Day, celebrated on May 9, is Russia’s most important secular holiday, reflecting its wartime sacrifice. But it's also used by the Kremlin to bolster patriotism and regain the superpower prestige it lost when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will address the "grandest" ever annual Victory Day parade in Moscow on Friday, evoking the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II to

Vladimir Putin has announced another temporary suspension of military activities. The Kremlin warns Ukraine of an "appropriate response" if the unilateral "ceasefire" declared by the Russian leader for Victory Day is violated.