On May 9, 2022, as fighting continued in eastern Ukraine, Vladimir Putin reviewed his troops in Moscow during Victory Day, the annual celebration of the USSR's triumph over Nazi Germany. Typically, spectators carry photographs of family members who had been killed in action during WWII but this year, many displayed images of Russian soldiers who have died during the current conflict.
Analysts had feared that Putin would use this national military holiday as an opportunity to further escalate the Russian campaign against Ukraine by formally declaring war, but no such announcement was made.