- Russia's annual Victory Day parade, marking the Soviet triumph over Nazi Germany in World War II, took place on Thursday.
- In the past a venue for military displays, this year's parade was more subdued, as President Vladimir Putin presides over a ratings slump and strained international relationships.
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MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin watched intercontinental nuclear missile launchers roll across Red Square on Thursday as Russia put on its annual show of military might to mark the Soviet Union's World War Two victory over the Nazis.
Read more: What it was like in the room when Nazi Germany finally surrendered to end World War II in Europe
Battling a ratings slump as Russia grinds through a sixth consecutive year of falling real incomes, Putin looked on as thousands of troops marched past and columns of tanks rumbled across the famous square in a display reminiscent of the Cold War era.
Putin, whose term ends in 2024, reviewed the parade from a tribune packed with Soviet war veterans, some of whom wore rows of campaign medals and clutched red roses.
Read more: How Soviet troops taunted the Nazis during their final drive to Berlin in World War II
"We have done and will do everything necessary to ensure the high level of readiness of our armed forces," Putin said. "We call on all countries to recognise our common responsibility to create a security system that is effective and equal for everyone."
Russia's ties with the West soured following its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, and Moscow has continued to challenge the US through its staunch support for Syrian President Bashar Assad and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
World leaders have attended in the past but were conspicuous by their absence on Thursday, something the Kremlin played down. Nursultan Nazarbayev, who resigned as Kazakh president in March after three decades in power, was the only notable foreign guest.
The Kremlin said it had not invited foreign heads of state but next year's 75th anniversary would be marked with greater pomp as a major milestone. The authorities, backed by state media, use the annual event to boost patriotic feeling at home, something that could help lift Putin's approval rating which, though still high at 66% in April, is down from nearly 90% five years ago.
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