Military expert Hamish de Breton-Gordon has carefully analyzed the May 9 parade in Moscow and concluded that dictator Vladimir Putin has effectively acknowledged the devastating exhaustion of the Russian army in the war with Ukraine. At least, he is no longer able to hide this fact.
Points of attention
- Hamish de Breton-Gordon's analysis points to Putin's inability to mask the depletion of Russian military resources, emphasizing the unsustainable expenditure on the battlefield.
- The May 9 parade served not as a celebration of victory, but as a recognition of strategic exhaustion for the aggressor country, shedding light on the diminishing military might of Russia.
The Russian army is on the verge, and Putin is powerless
On May 9, the whole world had the opportunity to observe what the Russian army had become over the years of the war against Ukraine.
According to the expert, the parade on Red Square became for the aggressor country not so much a celebration of victory as a recognition of strategic exhaustion.
While the Putin regime previously constantly flaunted its military might, in 2026 it was unable to muster either missiles or significant military equipment for its most important national spectacle.
A few outdated aircraft flying in a loose formation could not hide the fact that Russian military resources were being spent on the battlefield at an incredible rate, Hamish de Breton-Gordon emphasizes.
Moreover, Putin could not even hide the lack of personnel. To create the effect of mass participation, the DPRK military was involved, which has nothing to do with the day of the USSR's victory in World War II.
The expert immediately drew attention to the absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping, in fact Putin's main ally, at the parade.
This absence signaled a more cautious Beijing, increasingly aware that its association with the failed Russian campaign carries growing geopolitical costs.
