The Russian president is facing pressure not only from a stalemate on the battlefield but also from a battered economy that is fueling discontent.

Set in Russia in the years following the fall of communism, The Wizard of the Kremlin doesn't always work dramatically. But you leave with a better understanding of how Vladimir Putin came to power.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday voiced confidence of victory in Ukraine as he oversaw a military parade on Red Square commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II — a show that didn't include heavy weapons for the first time in nearly two decades.

Some well-known analysts and journalists have detected a subtle change in the mood toward Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine, now well into its fifth year. There is a sense in Russian society, they write,

Russia test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile as part of efforts to modernize its nuclear forces. The nuclear-armed Sarmat missile would enter combat service at the end of the year.

The Russian leader is walking a tightrope: acknowledging public discontent while offering no indication that he might give up on his demands.

For years, Russia’s Victory Day parade has symbolized the country’s military strength and power, with a dazzling display of heavy military equipment and a stream of visiting dignitaries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he thinks the war with Ukraine is coming to an end as President Trump brokers a three-day ceasefire and prisoner exchange between both nations.

Aging, allegedly ailing Vladimir Putin has been mocked over his puffy, strangely altered face after the fearful, paranoid Russian dictator made a rare public appearance in Moscow over the weekend. The swollen-cheeked 73-year-old despot was spotted at an unusually quiet Victory Day parade to mark the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.