Russia Scales Back Navy Day Celebrations Amid Security Concerns

(AP) – On Sunday, Russia announced a reduction in its Navy Day festivities, citing security issues as it continues its drone operations in Ukraine.

Authorities have cancelled the traditional warship parade in St. Petersburg, the Kaliningrad region, and Vladivostok, where the event typically honors the navy each year.

When asked about the cancellation of the St. Petersburg parade, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov noted that President Vladimir Putin was visiting his hometown to meet with Navy representatives.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that its air defense systems intercepted 99 Ukrainian drones overnight across multiple regions. Later, more drones were reportedly shot down near St. Petersburg. The local government mentioned that a woman sustained injuries from drone debris in the Lomonosov area.

Meanwhile, St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport suspended numerous flights early Sunday due to the drone threat.

During his trip to St. Petersburg, President Putin visited the historic naval command building and received updates on a recent four-day naval exercise that concluded on Sunday. This operation involved around 150 warships from the Baltic region to the Pacific.

Putin emphasized plans to boost the construction of warships and enhance naval training, asserting that “the naval strike and combat capabilities will qualitatively rise to new levels.”

The scaling back of Navy Day events indicates Moscow’s heightened concerns over Ukraine’s drone assaults throughout the country.

In the ongoing conflict, Ukraine has inflicted heavy damage on Russian naval assets, particularly in the Black Sea, leading to a redeployment of vessels from Crimea.

Notably, during a bold operation dubbed “SpiderWeb” on June 1, Ukraine deployed drones to target long-range bombers across Russian territory, catching the Kremlin by surprise and causing considerable damage to the Russian fleet.

Despite these setbacks for Russia, drone and missile strikes against Ukraine persisted on Sunday.

In the northeastern region of Smee, a drone attack impacted civilian infrastructures, injuring three individuals. Additionally, two men lost their lives to a landmine explosion, and another woman was injured in a separate drone strike in the vicinity, according to local reports.