Thousands of soldiers and hundreds of pieces of military hardware filled Moscow's Red Square for the traditional annual parade celebrating Victory Day in World War II, performing a mighty display of Russia's military power at a time when tension between the country and the West are running high.

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On May 9, the day marking the 76th anniversary of the Soviet defeat of Nazi Germany and the end of Europe's deadliest conflict ever, 12,000 troops marched on the capital, with officers, sergeants, soldiers and sailors accompanied by lines of tanks and fighter jets and helicopters flyovers.

President Vladimir Putin attended the event from a review platform set up on Red Square and spoke to the thousands of soldiers and veterans gathered.

"The Soviet people kept their sacred oath, defended the homeland and freed the countries of Europe from the black plague," he told the crowd.

"Russia consistently defends international law. At the same time, we will firmly defend our national interests to ensure the safety of our people," he added.

Addressing tensions with the West, Putin condemned what he called the return of "Russophobia".

The parade on Sunday followed months of tension between Russia and the West sparked by the treatment of jailed dissident Alexei Navalny and the Kremlin's military buildup near the borders of Ukraine, which Putin justified as a training exercise in response to activity by the NATO military alliance and Ukraine. 

_{Cover image: Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP}