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,

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

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.

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.

Jude Law, Paul Dano and Alicia Vikander topline a fine cast that does its best to inject depth into director Olivier Assayas' regrettably glib historical drama.

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.