Victory Day, celebrated on May 9, is Russia’s most important secular holiday, reflecting its wartime sacrifice. But it’s also used by the Kremlin to bolster patriotism and regain the superpower prestige it lost when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

China's Xi Jinping joined Vladimir Putin for a huge Victory Day parade in Moscow, hoping to reassure Russians of their nation's strength as the Ukraine conflict grinds on.

Vladimir Putin is leading Russia's Victory Day commemorations with a parade in Red Square and heightened security after days of Ukrainian strikes targeting the capital. Chinese President Xi Jingping is among more than 20 international leaders who have made the journey to Moscow.