Putin watches reduced Moscow army parade

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday marked Victory Day, the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, in a ceremony shorn of its usual military parade and pomp by the coronavirus pandemic.

Putin reviewed the Presidential Regiment after he laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier just outside the Kremlin walls, and gave a short address promising further development of Russia's armed forces.

Victory Day is Russia's most important secular holiday, and major commemorations were planned this year because it's the 75th anniversary since the end of WWII in Europe.

But key events such as the Red Square military parade and a mass procession called the Immortal Regiment were postponed as part of measures to stifle the spread of the virus.

The ceremonies were the first public appearance in about a month for Putin, who has worked remotely as the virus took hold.

In his speech, he did not mention the virus — Russia has nearly 200,000 confirmed cases — or how its spread had blocked the commemorations that were to be a prestige project for him.

Addressing people participating in the Immortal Regiment procession online, Putin promised that full commemorations would still take place.

"Whether we go in one line with you or all stay home like today, our heroes are always with us, in our hearts," he said. "We will march on the paving stones of the Red Square paying tribute to our heroes next time."

The sharply reduced observances this year left a hole in Russia's civic and emotional calendar.

WWII, in which the Soviet Union lost an estimated 26 million people including 8.5 million soldiers, has become a fundamental piece of Russian national identity.