Victory Day coverage endspublished at 11:11 British Summer Time 9 May 2015
We're wrapping up our live coverage of the Victory Day parade in Moscow. Thanks for staying with us. You can follow all of the latest updates on the BBC News website.
Summary
Russia stages its biggest-ever military parade on Red Square in Moscow
16,500 troops are taking part, with 194 armoured vehicles and 143 aircraft
Western leaders are avoiding the event in protest at Russia's involvement in Ukraine conflict
Patriotic mood grips Russia on 70th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany
Foreign troops in parade include Chinese, Indian and Serbian units
Victory Day coverage endspublished at 11:11 British Summer Time 9 May 2015
Postpublished at 11:08 British Summer Time 9 May 2015
John Pocock in St Petersburg, Russia emails: Watching the parade and having attended concerts by children and youths to commemorate the anniversary, you realise just how patriotic Russians are. What their country means to them.
Postpublished at 11:07 British Summer Time 9 May 2015
Phil, London emails: 7 million Ukrainians died in WW2, 4.5 million civilians and 2.5 million military (mostly fighting with the soviet union). Their sacrifice and memory will not be officially acknowledged at this parade, shameful.
Tu-160 strategic bomber flies over Red Squarepublished at 11:06 British Summer Time 9 May 2015
Image source, AFPRebel show of arms in Donetskpublished at 11:03 British Summer Time 9 May 2015
The BBC's Tom Burridge in Donetsk reports:
As the soldiers from the army of the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic shouted, and the families watching cheered them on, you could not escape the fact that the tanks and rocket launchers rolling through the main rebel-held city in eastern Ukraine are being used in the current conflict against Ukraine.
This parade was nothing on the scale of Moscow. But the show of military might in Donetsk was poignant and at times triumphant.
Wreath-laying at Tomb of Unknown Soldierpublished at 10:57 British Summer Time 9 May 2015
Image source, APImage caption, From left: Venezuelan President's wife Cilia Flores, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan
A sniper guarding the Kremlinpublished at 10:46 British Summer Time 9 May 2015
Image source, EPARussia brings back WW2 symbolspublished at 10:41 British Summer Time 9 May 2015
Vitaly Shevchenko at BBC Monitoring explains in this feature how Russians have embraced WW2 symbols again.
Image source, Getty ImagesGet involvedpublished at 10:33 British Summer Time 9 May 2015
Image source, @ThomasJLowe1@ThomasJLowe1 tweets, external: Moscow #VictoryDay #victory70
Postpublished at 10:32 British Summer Time 9 May 2015
Image source, Daniel CharlesDaniel Charles in Tanzania contacted us. He adds: I've experienced similar such events in most developing countries, sorry to say, when the govt lacks democratic governance and must impose itself on its citizens.
TV silent on Buk missilepublished at 10:31 British Summer Time 9 May 2015
Vitaly Shevchenko at BBC Monitoring, watching the live Russian TV broadcast, reports:
A Buk surface-to-air missile system - of the kind believed to have downed Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 - was the only type of military kit displayed at the Red Square parade but not named by the announcer.
Pro-Russian rebels are suspected of having downed Flight MH17 with a Buk missile. All 298 people on board were killed last July. The rebels and Russia deny the allegation, blaming Ukrainian forces for the disaster.
Kiev ceremony 'contrasts with Moscow'published at 10:23 British Summer Time 9 May 2015
Maxim Eristavi tweets, external: Soviet craze in Moscow vs somber procession in Kyiv. Have never seen Ukraine & Russia differ so much.
His pic of the ceremony in the Ukrainian capital:
Image source, Maxim EristaviNew Armata tank appearspublished at 10:16 British Summer Time 9 May 2015
Russia has paraded its new T-14 Armata tank - highly automated and described as a new-generation fighting machine, arguably better than many Nato tanks.
Read our guide to the new Russian weapons systems on display in Moscow.
Image source, ReutersNuclear-capable missiles in paradepublished at 10:04 British Summer Time 9 May 2015
Image source, ReutersImage caption, RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles on Red Square
Postpublished at 10:01 British Summer Time 9 May 2015
Image source, Eelco SchullerEelco Schuller, who tweets at @Eelcosch, external is watching the parade from his hotel in Moscow. He says this picture shows nuclear rocket launchers passing by.
Ukraine scorns 'Moscow's propaganda'published at 10:00 British Summer Time 9 May 2015
Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has addressed a ceremony in Kiev. In his speech, reported by BBC Monitoring, he lashed out at Russia's portrayal of WW2 history:
"At least six million Ukrainians who fought as part of the Red Army are the main witnesses before God and history of the outrageous injustice spread by Moscow's propaganda myth that Russia would have been able to win the war without Ukraine.
"It is even more cynical to portray our country as a fascist state. Obviously, this is done with one aim alone: to explain and justify their crime in the eyes of their own, Russian people - the Russian aggression against Ukraine."
Victory Day is also being celebrated in Crimea, annexed by Russia last year, and eastern regions held by pro-Russian rebels.
Postpublished at 09:53 British Summer Time 9 May 2015
Galina @Bonery_Linus, external tweets: If other countries have suffered from Nazi so much, they would understand how high price was and celebrate this Day like us
Postpublished at 09:53 British Summer Time 9 May 2015
Francois Heisbourg tweets, external: Moving: smiles of WW2 veterans as they hear tunes of their youth at #VictoryDay parade in Moscow. The only heroes on Red Square today
Flowers from a veteran in Donetskpublished at 09:53 British Summer Time 9 May 2015
BBC's Tom Burridge in Donetsk tweets, external: A veteran wanted to give me these flowers because: "Britain and USSR fought fascism together"
Image source, Tom Burridge, BBCQuick guide to Victory Day - videopublished at 09:47 British Summer Time 9 May 2015
BBC News has this video explaining the background to Russia's Victory Day.