Russia-Ukraine war: Victory Day parade cancellations were influenced by Kremlin fears of attacks

Victory Day parade cancellations were influenced by Kremlin fears of assaults, according to UK MoD.

According to the UK Ministry of Defence, the decision to cancel numerous Victory Day parades, citing security concerns, was made in part because of worries among the Russian leadership about their country’s vulnerability to attacks and the possibility of mass unrest over the war in Ukraine.

According to the ministry’s most recent intelligence report, parades commemorating the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany were cancelled on Tuesday in six Russian regions, the occupied Crimea, and 21 cities.

The ministry said: “The timing of the UAV [drone] strike on the Kremlin a few days before Victory Day shows Russia’s increasing vulnerability to such attacks and has almost certainly raised the threat perception of the Russian leadership over the Victory Day events.

The potential for protests and discontent over the Ukraine war are also likely to have influenced the calculus of the Russian leadership.”

The briefing, which was published on Twitter, stated that the Victory Day celebration in Moscow would probably take place but on a lower scale and that the reception for President Vladimir Putin following the march would not.

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 6 May 2023.

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