Russia’s navy has been forced to cancel its annual flagship event in St Petersburg, in a humiliating blow for Vladimir Putin. Navy Day is a major national holiday and is held on the last Sunday of July, celebrated by the public and military alike.
The event is used by the Kremlin to show off its latests ships and technology, as it attempts to project its naval power to the watching world. As the maritime capital of Russia, St Petersburg holds a Main Naval Parade along the River Neva, which is normally attended by the Russian president. Usually ships from the Northern, Pacific, Baltic and Black Sea fleets take part in the jamboree.
Last year about 200 ships and vessels were part of the flotilla that made its way along the river from the mouth of the Baltic Sea, cheered on by crowds crammed on the embankment.
However, the committee organising this year’s event has confirmed the parade will not go ahead this Sunday (July 27). At the same time concerts and fireworks displays that were part of the celebrations have also been cancelled.
No official reason for the cancellation of the naval parade and festivities has been given, although local media sources cite concerns over security. Russia’s second biggest city has increasingly been affected by drone alerts, which have caused travel chaos.
Thousands of travellers have seen their flights either delayed for hours or completely cancelled over the summer.
Navy Day was celebrated for the first time on July 24, 1939, and coincided with the 35th birthday of People’s Commissar of the Navy Nikolay Kuznetsov.
A presidential decree in July 2017 re-established the tradition of holding the main parade of Russia’s fleet on Navy Day.
The Kremlin was also forced to cancel this year’s prestigious International Military-Technical Forum “Army 2025”.
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 event had been scheduled to take place at Patriot Park in Moscow over four days in August from the 11th until 14th.