Russian-installed authorities in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol canceled this year’s Victory Day military parade, citing safety concerns, marking the third consecutive year the city has scrapped the annual celebration.
“There won’t be a Victory Day parade this year, as has been agreed with the Defense Ministry,” Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said at a city meeting, according to state-run news agency TASS.
“For obvious reasons, we won’t be publishing the schedule [of festive events],” he added.
Sevastopol last held a Victory Day parade in 2022, shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Dozens of other Russian cities have similarly canceled military parades amid escalating cross-border drone and missile attacks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to oversee the Moscow parade alongside visiting foreign leaders. A flyover rehearsal for that parade was held earlier on Monday.
Putin proposed a 72-hour ceasefire to coincide with the May 9 commemorations, a move some Ukrainian officials criticized as an attempt to shield Red Square celebrations from any disruptions, including drone attacks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would not “play games to create a pleasant atmosphere to allow for Putin’s exit from isolation on May 9.”
Zelensky also said some of the countries sending leaders to Moscow had requested security guarantees, which he insisted was Russia’s responsibility to provide.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Zelensky of directly threatening the May 9 events.
Razvozhayev’s announcement came after Ukraine said it had downed two Russian Su-30 fighter jets over the Black Sea and southern Russia’s Krasnodar region late last week.
Krasnodar region Governor Veniamin Kondratyev also canceled his region’s Victory Day parade due to “near-nightly air raid alerts.”
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