Xi attends Russia's Victory Day celebrations

MOSCOW - Chinese President Xi Jinping attended here on Friday celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War.

Leaders from more than 20 countries and international organizations were invited to the events.

Xi was welcomed by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Friday morning. The leaders then walked to the Red Square together and took their seats at the main reviewing stand.

At 10:00 am local time (0700 GMT), as the chimes of the Kremlin clock rang out, the celebrations began. As the military band played The Sacred War, the honor guards marched in.

Delivering a speech at the event, Putin said that the Soviet Union defended peace and freedom for all humanity at the cost of tens of millions of lives. "We will forever remember the moment of victory, carry forward the legacy of our forefathers, stand united, and always uphold the sacred glory," he said.

Putin noted that the Chinese people fought bravely in World War II (WWII), and highly commended their contribution to forging a shared future for mankind.

"We remember the history of WWII and draw lessons from it," said Putin. "Victory is sacred, history must not be distorted, and the victors must not be defamed. History and justice are always on our side."

Following Putin's speech, the grand military parade began as the military band played the Russian national anthem and gun salutes echoed across the Red Square. Marching in unison, the formations passed through the square one after another.

In the "historical" part of the parade, Russian service members, dressed in uniforms from the era of the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War, proudly carried the military flags and weapons of that time, evoking memories of the years of resistance against fascism.

In the "modern" part, formations of Russia's various military branches and modern weaponry units passed by the reviewing stand. The Russian Aerospace Forces' flight formations roared overhead, soaring across the skies above the Red Square.

Armed forces formations from more than 10 countries, including China, were also invited to participate in the parade.

Following the celebrations, Xi, along with other leaders, walked from the Red Square to Alexander Garden, where they laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and observed a moment of silence.