Russia’s Defense Ministry has officially announced that there will be no columns of military equipment or military cadets at the May 9 parade on Red Square. This marks the first such case since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022, BBC reports.
“Students of the Suvorov Military Schools and Nakhimov Naval Schools, as well as cadet corps, will also not take part in the parade on Red Square. Instead, servicemen from various higher military educational institutions and individual branches of the armed forces will participate,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The reason cited is the “current operational situation.” The military did not specify exactly what influenced the parade plans. The Defense Ministry’s statement also notes that the aviation component of the parade will take place.
At the same time, mass events scheduled for May 9 are being canceled in regions across Russia. Parades will not be held, in particular, in Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov, Chuvashia, and Kaluga Oblast. Fireworks have been canceled in Voronezh Oblast, Kursk Oblast, Bryansk Oblast, and Belgorod Oblast. Local authorities say such decisions are driven by security considerations.
In recent months, Ukraine, in response to Russian military strikes, has carried out drone attacks on infrastructure facilities in various regions of Russia, including oil-export infrastructure such as Baltic Sea ports and the Tuapse oil refinery.
