Victory Parades are being canceled in Russia: where and why they will not take place

25 April 17:56

Military parades in honor of Victory Day have been canceled in a number of Russian cities for May 9, 2025. The main reason is the fear of drone attacks and the “yellow” level of terrorist threat in a number of regions of Russia, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports, citing the Russian media.

Cities where parades were canceled:

Krasnodar. The parade was canceled due to regular nightly alarms and the threat of drone attacks. The main celebrations were moved to Novorossiysk.

Kerch. The local occupation authorities refused to hold the parade due to the current “yellow” level of terrorist threat.

Sevastopol. No large-scale parade is planned. Instead, parades will be organized in the yards of veterans together with the Black Sea Fleet.

Belgorod, Kursk and Bryansk regions. The authorities have not yet made any final decisions, but it is likely that there will be no large demonstrations, as in previous years.

Kaluga region. Parades will be held only in the cities of military glory – Kozelsk and Maloyaroslavets. Parades have been canceled in other settlements of the region.

In addition, the regions lack local budgets for the celebrations. In recent years, they have been severely reduced due to international economic sanctions. Additionally, we should take into account the fact that for the fourth year in a row, Russia has been spending significant funds on the war in Ukraine, which is why the regions are funded on a residual basis.

Victory parade in Moscow on may 9, 2025: who will come to sanctioned Russia?

The leaders of more than 20 countries have been invited to the celebrations. But among them are almost no European heads of state. Instead, offers were made to some CIS, African, and Latin American countries.

The CIS and the post-Soviet space: