St. Petersburgs Major Navy Day Celebration Scaled Back Amid Security Threats

Authorities in St. Petersburg have cancelled this year’s major naval parade due to security apprehensions, as reported by the local news source Fontanka on Wednesday, citing anonymous sources familiar with the situation.

Typically, the Navy Day parade occurs in St. Petersburg, the principal base of Russia’s Baltic Fleet, on the final Sunday of July. Smaller celebrations also take place in Vladivostok and Kaliningrad.

This year’s event, initially set for July 27, has been significantly scaled back and will instead feature a wreath-laying ceremony and public festivities at Palace Square, according to the sources.

Preparations for the parade were halted before any rehearsals could commence, the outlet noted.

City officials have not confirmed the cancellation as of yet.

Last year, the St. Petersburg Navy Day parade occurred on July 28, although part of the planned activities in the nearby port city of Kronstadt were also cancelled due to security issues.

At that time, reports indicated that Russian security agencies had issued warnings regarding a potential attack on naval ships participating in the parade.

According to The New York Times, former U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had two phone discussions with Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov after intelligence suggested potential covert Ukrainian operations in relation to the parade.

The report stated that the warning was serious enough for Austin to reach out to Ukrainian officials, advising them against any possible attacks.

The inaugural Navy Day parade in St. Petersburg took place in 2017.