Russia’s Defence Ministry has quietly cancelled its flagship military exhibition, in a major blow for Vladimir Putin. Several sources have confirmed to Russian media that the prestigious International Military-Technical Forum “Army 2025” will no longer go ahead as planned.
The event is Russia’s largest annual defence exhibition and has been held without fail every year since its inception in 2015 – even during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Russian Army used the forum as an opportunity to showcase its latest weapons and technologies and help the Kremlin sell its military hardware. The event had been scheduled to take place at Patriot Park in Moscow over four days in August from the 11th until 14th.
However, the forum has been removed from the venue’s event calendar without explanation.
The official Army-2025 website remains active, and no formal announcement of the cancellation has been made through its Telegram channel or VKontakte page.
Organisers had previously claimed that more than 800 companies, including some international participants, had reserved exhibition space for this year’s event. The forum will not take place in 2026 either. According to a government order, the next exhibition is scheduled for 2027.
Last year, the Kremlin proudly showed off upgraded armoured vehicles, drone systems and precision-guided weapons. Notably, the forum featured the Lancet-E loitering munition system, the upgraded Mi-24P-1M helicopter, and the Yak-130M light-attack aircraft.
Additionally, Rosoboronexport presented over 700 military, dual-use, and civilian products for potential export.
Russia has sustained catastrophic casualties to both soldiers and equipment in just ver three years of fighting in Ukraine.
Latest estimates indicate Putin’s army has lost around 1,033,930 troops, which includes injured and dead.
Russia has also lost 11,016 tanks, 22,983 armoured fighting vehicles, 54,923 vehicles and fuel tanks, 30,243 artillery systems, 1,438 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,194 air defence systems, 421 airplanes, 340 helicopters, 45,511 drones, 28 ships and boats and one submarine.
Despite the staggering losses, Russia’s army is still fighting on and has occupied 2,395 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory since the start of 2025 – an area nearly the size of Luxembourg.
