PM Modi to skip Russia’s Victory Day parade on May 9, Rajnath Singh to represent India

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not attend Russia’s Victory Day celebrations in Moscow on May 9, the Kremlin confirmed on Wednesday. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be representing India at Russia's Victory Day parade, reportedly said the government sources.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Reuters that India will be represented at a different diplomatic level, although he did not elaborate on the reason for the Prime Minister’s absence.

The decision comes in the immediate aftermath of the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, where 26 people—mostly Hindu tourists—were killed by suspected Pakistan-based militants. The massacre, which triggered national outrage, led PM Modi to cut short his official visit to Saudi Arabia and return to India. 

While the Ministry of External Affairs has not directly linked the security situation to PM Modi’s absence from the Moscow event, diplomatic sources suggest that the prevailing national mood and focus on internal security played a role in the decision.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that President Vladimir Putin had invited PM Modi to attend the 80th anniversary of Victory Day—Russia’s annual commemoration of the Soviet defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. At the time, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India would announce its participation “at the appropriate time.”

Russian media, quoting Indian government sources, reported that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh may represent India at the celebrations instead. Leaders from several other countries, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, are expected to attend the grand military parade on Moscow’s Red Square.

Victory Day holds deep symbolic and historical significance in Russia. On Tuesday, President Putin described the Battle of Stalingrad as a pivotal turning point in the war, saying it “delivered a decisive blow to the Nazi war machine” and opened the road to Berlin.

PM Modi last visited Russia in July 2024—his first trip there in nearly five years—during which he held extensive talks with President Putin and formally invited him to visit India. That invitation has since been accepted by the Kremlin, with discussions ongoing about the timing of Putin’s visit.