Russia has celebrated the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, with President Vladimir Putin presiding over a massive parade of tanks, missiles and troops through Red Square.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken center stage at Russia’s Victory Day parade on Friday, surrounding himself by friendly world leaders in a highly choreographed show designed to show the Western world that Russia is far from isolated.

Russia commemorated the solemn 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War on Friday with a grand military parade in Moscow's iconic Red Square. The annual spectacle, a cornerstone of Russia's national identity,