Advancing in Ukraine, Russia to mark victory in World War Two

FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin reviews honour guards of the presidential regiment following his inauguration ceremony at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia May 7, 2024. Sputnik/Ramil Sitdikov/Kremlin via REUTERS/File Photo

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia on Thursday marks the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two as relations with the West spiral deeper into crisis over the advance of Russian troops against Ukraine's Western-backed forces.

Vladimir Putin, who rose to power just eight years after the Soviet Union broke up, will speak at the Victory Day parade on Red Square though there will be less military hardware on display than in parades before Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.