Putin CANCELS annual naval parade over paranoid tyrant’s fears deadly Ukraine drones could slip through defences

FEARING a Ukrainian attack – or even an assassination attempt, Vladimir Putin has cancelled Russia’s Navy Day parade. A highlight of the year for the Russian President, the event involves 200 warships of various classes that sail through the Neva River in St Petersburg. Putin and Defence Minister Andrei Belousov at the last Navy Day parade in St Petersburg in 2024 Credit: East2West The parade has been cancelled this year Credit: East2West Instead of a triumphant display of naval prowess, the parade has been replaced with concerts, museum programmes and commemorative ceremonies. Events usually taking place in other key naval ports in the Baltic, Black and Azov Seas, as well as the Arctic and Pacific Oceans, were also cancelled – yet another sign that paranoia is consuming Putin. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! His decision was announced after a wave of Ukrainian attacks in June on Kronstadt, near St Petersburg, a naval base that acts as headquarters of the Baltic Fleet and plays a key role in the parade. The daring strike – which disrupted Putin’s version of the World Economic Forum – severely damaged the Russian corvette RFS Boiky. Addressing sailors in a video recorded from the safety of his office, Putin said: “In Russia, washed by the waters of 13 seas, the Navy plays a vital role in ensuring defence and security, and in protecting the country’s legitimate interests in the World Ocean. “Our naval forces are capable of effectively accomplishing the full range of tasks assigned to them.” In a threat to the West, he vowed that the naval forces were “constantly developing” including its nuclear strike capability. He added: “The maritime component of Russia’s nuclear triad is growing in strength. Most read in The Sun What the parade looked like in 2020, two years before the start of the war Credit: Reuters Smoke rises from Wildberries facility, from what the Ukrainian authorities say was following a drone attack, near St Petersburg Credit: Reuters “The serial construction of combat ships and special vessels continues. “The supply of advanced armaments and equipment to submarine, surface, coastal and aviation units is being improved.” This is the second year in a row that the Kremlin has cancelled the parade due to “security reasons”. When the country commemorated “Victory Day” on May 9, it involved a large military parade in Moscow’s Red Square, attended by Putin as well as other high-ranking officials. But he took no chances. For the first time in his presidency, signature pieces of military equipment did not feature in the event due to fears that Ukrainian long-range drone strikes would target them. A large number of Russian parliamentarians were also not invited to the parade. Driven by fears of internal coups, Ukrainian drone strikes, and a fracturing Russian elite, Putin is growing increasingly more isolated and paranoid. He has refused to take personal visits at his residences, and spends more time in secure bunkers in the Krasnodar region, according to a report by the Henry Jackson Society. His cooks, chauffeurs, and bodyguards are also reportedly subject to additional screening and monitoring, and staff are forbidden from using mobile phones around him. Since March, massive blackouts of mobile internet in Moscow and elsewhere in Russia, plunged the country back into the pre-web dark ages. The Kremlin hopes that by restricting services it can prevent Ukraine from using devices to detonate bombs or guide drones. Comment now