Saturday’s Victory Day parade in Moscow was a compelling demonstration of Russian military might. More than 100 planes, 16,000 troops and 200,000 civilians carrying portraits of relatives who fought in the Second World War were involved. New weaponry on display included the Armata tank and a new intercontinental ballistic missile launcher that was developed in response to Nato anti-missile systems. 

Putting his personal seal on the annexation of Crimea, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia arrived in the naval port of Sevastopol on Friday, where he used the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany to assert that Moscow had the right to take over the Black Sea peninsula.

Turkey celebrated Victory Day on Friday, marking the 91st anniversary of the Turkish victory at the Battle of Dumlupınar, the final battle of the 1922 Turkish War of Independence. The day was celebrated in all 81 Turkish provinces, as well as in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) and at Turkish embassies around the world. The celebrations began with an official ceremony in the Turkish capital, attended by top political leaders and military commanders.