St. Petersburg Navy Day Parade Scrapped Due to Heightened Security Risks

The annual Navy Day parade in St. Petersburg has been cancelled due to security issues, the Kremlin announced on Sunday. This decision came shortly after local officials issued a statement about the event’s cancellation, which was later rescinded.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov informed the media that the parade would not proceed as scheduled due to the prevailing “general atmosphere” and “security concerns,” though he did not elaborate further.

On Friday, St. Petersburg authorities had initially declared the parade was off, but they subsequently modified their statement, indicating that they lacked the authority to address the event, which is managed by Russia’s Defense Ministry.

Previously, local news source Fontanka reported that this year’s Navy Day events would be significantly scaled down, featuring only a wreath-laying ceremony and other activities at Palace Square.

Earlier on Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin released a video message commending the “bravery” and «heroism” of the Russian Navy personnel engaged in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

“We celebrate this holiday in a working atmosphere,” Putin remarked later, as he spoke to Russian servicemen participating in extensive naval drills referred to as “July Storm.”

These exercises, which commenced earlier this week in the Baltic and Caspian Seas, as well as in the Arctic and Pacific Oceans, involved over 150 ships and upwards of 15,000 troops, according to the Kremlin leader.

“Our primary objective is to ensure the security of Russia and staunchly safeguard our sovereignty and national interests,” Putin stated while visiting St. Petersburg on Sunday.

The Navy Day parade in St. Petersburg was held on July 28, 2024, although part of the festivities planned for the nearby port city of Kronstadt was also cancelled for security reasons.

At that time, reports indicated that Russian security services had cautioned about a potential attack on naval vessels partaking in the parade.

According to the New York Times, former U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had two phone conversations with Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov after Russian intelligence alerted him to possible covert Ukrainian activities surrounding the scheduled parade.

That warning was deemed significant enough for Austin to reach out to Ukrainian officials and advise them against any potential assaults.

The Navy Day parade in St. Petersburg first took place in 2017, with smaller parades typically occurring in Vladivostok and Kaliningrad.

Reporting for this article also included contributions from AFP.