MOSCOW/NEW DELHI, April 9 – Russia has extended an official invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend its annual Victory Day parade on May 9, marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, a senior Russian diplomat said.
Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko confirmed that Moscow is expecting the Indian leader at the commemorative event and that the visit is currently under discussion. “It’s being worked out, it should be this year. He has an invitation,” Rudenko told reporters on Tuesday, according to Russian news agency TASS.
Victory Day is a significant date in Russia’s political and cultural calendar, celebrated with a large military parade on Red Square in Moscow. This year’s anniversary is particularly symbolic, coming amid heightened tensions between Russia and the West over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Russia has invited several leaders from friendly nations to attend the 2025 parade, which commemorates the signing of the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Nazi Germany on May 9, 1945. The Soviet Union, which bore the brunt of the fighting on the Eastern Front, lost an estimated 27 million people during the war.
Modi last visited Russia in July 2024, his first trip to the country in nearly five years. The visit, which included talks with President Vladimir Putin, focused on strengthening bilateral ties and economic cooperation. His previous visit was in 2019 to the eastern city of Vladivostok for an economic forum. During the 2024 meeting, Modi extended an invitation to President Putin to visit India. The Russian leader has accepted, though the date for the visit has not been announced.
The two leaders maintain regular contact, often speaking by phone and meeting in person during multilateral forums. India has continued to engage with Russia despite international criticism of Moscow’s actions in Ukraine, emphasizing strategic autonomy and its long-standing defense and energy ties with the Kremlin.
