Military parade in Crimea canceled after downing of Russian fighter jet

The occupied Crimea canceled the May 9 parade, claiming security threats after a Ukrainian maritime drone shot down a Su-30 fighter jet. Ukraine has warned that it cannot guarantee the safety of foreign guests at Russian events.

This was reported by the Telegraph.

The terrorist country canceled the Victory Day military parade in Sevastopol for security reasons. According to the so-called governor of the city, Mikhail Razvozhayev, the decision is related to the increased threat after a Ukrainian maritime drone strike that downed a Su-30 fighter jet near Novorossiysk on May 2.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, this is the first time a maritime drone has shot down an aircraft. The cost of the downed Su-30 is estimated at $50 million.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that foreign guests in Moscow cannot be guaranteed safety and called for caution, as Russia could accuse Ukraine of provocations. Sevastopol, where the parade was to take place, has remained a key base for the Russian navy since 2014.

On May 3, Ukrainian military intelligence reported that a Magura maritime drone had downed a Russian Su-30 fighter jet in the Black Sea near Crimea. This strike, carried out by the Defense Intelligence Group 13, was the first time in the world that a combat aircraft was destroyed by a maritime drone.

At the end of March, Ukrainian Prymary drones destroyed Russian military equipment in Crimea, causing millions of dollars in losses. Among the targets hit were advanced radar stations that were key to Russian air defense and coastal defense.

Historically, the Red Square parade in the USSR was held only in 1945, 1965, 1975, 1985 and 1990, and after the collapse of the Soviet Union - in 1995 without equipment. Since 2008, Russia has resumed the annual parade with military equipment, although since 1997, state leaders have refused to stand on the mausoleum, which has been covered with plywood since 2005.

Анна Бальчінос