Parades for May 9th canceled in Crimea due to threat of Ukrainian army strikes

In the occupied Crimea, the Russian authorities refused to hold mass events until May 9, explaining it by "security reasons." Amid regular attacks by the Ukrainian Defense Forces on military facilities on the peninsula, the occupiers canceled parades, rallies and the Immortal Regiment event.

This was reported by Krym. Realii.

In the temporarily occupied Crimea, the Russian authorities for the second time in a row refused to hold large-scale events on Victory Day. The so-called "head of Crimea" Sergei Aksyonov said that a military parade, mass rallies and the march of the "Immortal Regiment" would not be held this year due to the security situation.

According to the Russian media, the occupation administration was still preparing festive events the day before, but eventually canceled them. In Simferopol, instead of mass events, they organized online campaigns and exhibitions of children's drawings on "patriotic" themes. Also, large flags of the Russian Federation and copies of Soviet "victory flags" will not be unfurled in Crimea, and car rallies were banned on the recommendation of security forces.

Similar restrictions have been introduced in Sevastopol, where strikes on Russian military targets have been regularly recorded in recent months. Instead, the occupation authorities have intensified the information campaign and advertising of service in the Russian army.

The Crimean Tatar Resource Center stated that the refusal to hold parades indicates the occupiers' unwillingness to take risks even for the sake of a traditional propaganda image. At the same time, experts emphasized that Russia continues to use May 9 as a tool for militarizing the population and information influence.

Last year, the occupied Sevastopol canceled the May 9 parade, claiming security threats after a Ukrainian maritime drone shot down a Su-30 fighter jet. Ukraine warned that it could not guarantee the safety of foreign guests at Russian events. This was the first time a maritime drone has shot down an airplane. The cost of the downed Su-30 was estimated at $50 million.

Анна Бальчінос