Putin allegedly pulling combat-ready troops from Ukraine to fill parade on Victory Day

 According to the partisan movement Atesh, Russia is quietly pulling its best soldiers away from active fighting.

In a post on Telegram, Atesh reported that Russian commanders are stripping experienced troops right out of key battlegrounds, but the goal is not to regroup and prepare for a new tactical offensive.

Instead, the troops are being sent to Moscow to march in the May 9 Victory Day parade.

Missing the armor

The May 9 celebration remains a massive deal for the Russian leadership. Yet this year, the spectacle in Red Square will look quite different.

The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the Moscow parade will not feature its usual tanks. Crowds will only see marching units and video screens showing combat footage.

Meanwhile, several regions outside the capital have completely scrapped their parades.

Authorities in cities like Saint Petersburg and Krasnodar canceled events over fears of Ukrainian drone strikes. They cited ongoing security challenges.

Chaos in the trenches

This sudden exit of combat-ready troops from the Russian ranks in Ukraine leaves a dangerous gap on the battlefield. Newly mobilized recruits and wounded soldiers are stepping up to fill the void.

The partisan group claims this rotation has shattered defensive lines across the affected sectors.

“Agents of Atesh report that on the Kostiantynivka direction… combat-ready servicemen are being massively withdrawn from the front,” the group stated.

The movement warned that this situation “leads to complete chaos.” The front is now held by troops barely fit to fight.

Throwing crowds forward

With the veterans gone, Russian battlefield tactics are likely to take a brutal turn. Commanders are leaning on human waves to make up for the lost skill.

Atesh reported a sharp spike in casualties among the remaining forces. The numbers of dead and wounded are climbing fast.

“They throw crowds of unprepared soldiers into attacks to somehow compensate for the lack of professionals,” the group said.

Unsurprisingly, frontline morale is sinking fast. Soldiers are reportedly furious that ceremonial marching takes priority over their survival.

Putin counting on truce?

Last week, Vladimir Putin announced a unilateral truce on May 8 and 9 because of Victory Day.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later explained that Kyiv had not received any official proposal from Moscow.

Instead, Ukraine is imposing its own ceasefire beginning when May 5 turns to May 6.

In a statement posted on X, Zelenskyy said that “we believe that human life is far more valuable than any anniversary ‘celebration’.”