diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index c08d2c99bf3f5..013c0a6acc1ce 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@ module = [
     "pytorch_lightning.strategies.fully_sharded",
     "pytorch_lightning.strategies.horovod",
     "pytorch_lightning.strategies.ipu",
-    "pytorch_lightning.strategies.parallel",
     "pytorch_lightning.strategies.sharded",
     "pytorch_lightning.strategies.sharded_spawn",
     "pytorch_lightning.strategies.tpu_spawn",
diff --git a/src/pytorch_lightning/strategies/fully_sharded_native.py b/src/pytorch_lightning/strategies/fully_sharded_native.py
index 9a11f61c42e52..d8cd66be2e02f 100644
--- a/src/pytorch_lightning/strategies/fully_sharded_native.py
+++ b/src/pytorch_lightning/strategies/fully_sharded_native.py
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ def __init__(  # type: ignore[no-untyped-def]
 
     @property
     def root_device(self) -> torch.device:
+        assert self.parallel_devices is not None
         return self.parallel_devices[self.local_rank]
 
     @property
diff --git a/src/pytorch_lightning/strategies/parallel.py b/src/pytorch_lightning/strategies/parallel.py
index 4fc846870ad59..2517848274e3d 100644
--- a/src/pytorch_lightning/strategies/parallel.py
+++ b/src/pytorch_lightning/strategies/parallel.py
@@ -13,11 +13,10 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
 from contextlib import contextmanager
-from typing import Any, List, Optional
+from typing import Any, Dict, Generator, List, Optional
 
 import torch
 from torch import Tensor
-from torch.nn.parallel import DistributedDataParallel
 
 import pytorch_lightning as pl
 from pytorch_lightning.overrides.base import unwrap_lightning_module
@@ -81,16 +80,18 @@ def is_global_zero(self) -> bool:
         return self.global_rank == 0
 
     @property
-    def parallel_devices(self):
+    def parallel_devices(self) -> Optional[List[torch.device]]:
         return self._parallel_devices
 
     @parallel_devices.setter
-    def parallel_devices(self, parallel_devices):
+    def parallel_devices(self, parallel_devices: Optional[List[torch.device]]) -> None:
         self._parallel_devices = parallel_devices
 
     @property
-    def distributed_sampler_kwargs(self):
-        distributed_sampler_kwargs = dict(num_replicas=len(self.parallel_devices), rank=self.global_rank)
+    def distributed_sampler_kwargs(self) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+        distributed_sampler_kwargs = dict(
+            num_replicas=len(self.parallel_devices) if self.parallel_devices is not None else 0, rank=self.global_rank
+        )
         return distributed_sampler_kwargs
 
     @property
@@ -104,7 +105,7 @@ def torch_distributed_backend(self) -> str:
             return pg_backend
         return get_default_process_group_backend_for_device(self.root_device)
 
-    def reconciliate_processes(self, trace: str):
+    def reconciliate_processes(self, trace: str) -> None:
         """Function to re-conciliate processes on failure."""
 
     def all_gather(self, tensor: Tensor, group: Optional[Any] = None, sync_grads: bool = False) -> Tensor:
@@ -118,18 +119,19 @@ def reduce_boolean_decision(self, decision: bool) -> bool:
         return decision
 
     @contextmanager
-    def block_backward_sync(self):
+    def block_backward_sync(self) -> Generator:
         """Blocks ddp sync gradients behaviour on backwards pass.
 
         This is useful for skipping sync when accumulating gradients, reducing communication overhead
         Returns: context manager with sync behaviour off
         """
-        if isinstance(self.model, DistributedDataParallel):
+        if isinstance(self.model, pl.utilities.types.DistributedDataParallel):
             with self.model.no_sync():
                 yield None
         else:
             yield None
 
     def teardown(self) -> None:
+        assert self.cluster_environment is not None
         self.cluster_environment.teardown()
         super().teardown()
diff --git a/src/pytorch_lightning/utilities/types.py b/src/pytorch_lightning/utilities/types.py
index 0b10b5eebc7b1..e8de1091ec6c1 100644
--- a/src/pytorch_lightning/utilities/types.py
+++ b/src/pytorch_lightning/utilities/types.py
@@ -16,12 +16,14 @@
  - Do not include any `_TYPE` suffix
  - Types used in public hooks (as those in the `LightningModule` and `Callback`) should be public (no leading `_`)
 """
+from contextlib import contextmanager
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Any, Dict, Iterator, List, Mapping, Optional, Sequence, Type, Union
+from typing import Any, Dict, Generator, Iterator, List, Mapping, Optional, Sequence, Type, Union
 
 import torch
 from torch import Tensor
+from torch._C._distributed_c10d import ProcessGroup
 from torch.optim import Optimizer
 from torch.utils.data import DataLoader
 from torchmetrics import Metric
@@ -99,6 +101,31 @@ def step(self, metrics: Union[float, int, Tensor], epoch: Optional[int] = None)
         ...
 
 
+# Inferred from `torch.nn.parallel.distributed.pyi`
+# Missing attributes were added to improve typing
+@runtime_checkable
+class DistributedDataParallel(Protocol):
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        module: torch.nn.Module,
+        device_ids: Optional[List[Union[int, torch.device]]] = None,
+        output_device: Optional[Union[int, torch.device]] = None,
+        dim: int = 0,
+        broadcast_buffers: bool = True,
+        process_group: Optional[ProcessGroup] = None,
+        bucket_cap_mb: int = 25,
+        find_unused_parameters: bool = False,
+        check_reduction: bool = False,
+        gradient_as_bucket_view: bool = False,
+        static_graph: bool = False,
+    ) -> None:
+        ...
+
+    @contextmanager
+    def no_sync(self) -> Generator:
+        ...
+
+
 # todo: improve LRSchedulerType naming/typing
 LRSchedulerTypeTuple = (torch.optim.lr_scheduler._LRScheduler, torch.optim.lr_scheduler.ReduceLROnPlateau)
 LRSchedulerTypeUnion = Union[torch.optim.lr_scheduler._LRScheduler, torch.optim.lr_scheduler.ReduceLROnPlateau]