The May 9 parade in Moscow may be canceled due to the war with Ukraine
Concerns are growing in the Russian capital over the safety of the May 9 parade. Despite official statements from the Kremlin that preparations are proceeding “according to plan,” reports are circulating in military circles and among bloggers that rehearsals have been scaled back and that the event may face restrictions due to the risk of drone attacks.
This is reported by Russian media.
Alexei Zhuravlev, first deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma’s Defense Committee, stated that holding the parade remains a “highly dangerous event.” According to him, the Ukrainian side may allegedly attempt to use drones to disrupt the event.
At the same time, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov continues to insist that preparations for the parade are proceeding as usual, and the list of invited guests will be announced after their participation is confirmed.
Russian military blogger Fighterbomber (Ilya Tumanov) reported that some of the parade units’ training exercises have been canceled and the units have returned to their permanent bases.
Also, according to him, the parade may completely forgo the aerial component to minimize risks.
Since the start of the full-scale war, the parade in Moscow has been gradually scaled back:
- 2022 — reduction in the number of vehicles, cancellation of the aviation component at the last minute;
- 2023 — even fewer troops, no modern tanks, only symbolic T-34s;
- 2024 — partial return of the air component (about 15 aircraft), limited ground component;
- 2025 — despite the anniversary, the scale remained below pre-war levels, and the air component was again limited.
Against the backdrop of these trends, experts note that the Kremlin’s main political and propaganda spectacle is gradually losing its former scale and ostentatiousness.
As a reminder, last year Russia canceled the Navy Day parade—which was scheduled for July 27, 2025—for the first time. This occurred following an attack by Ukrainian drones.
