At least five Russian regions have decided not to hold parades and Immortal Regiment processions in honor of Victory Day on May 9 due to the threat of attacks from Ukraine. In the border region of Kursk, all mass events have been canceled except for the laying of flowers at the Eternal Flame, Governor Roman Starovoit said.
“We will hold commemorative actions in honor of Victory Day online, we will offer Kursk citizens to hang portraits of their relatives who fought in the war in the windows of houses and on car windows”, he said.
According to Starovoit, police officers, Rosgvardiya, people’s vigilantes and other law enforcement agencies will work in a state of high readiness from April 27. Nevertheless, he urged residents to “take into account the situation in the region and remain as vigilant as possible”, and in case of a missile threat or threat of drone attack “follow instructions and do not expose themselves to additional risks”.
Due to regular shelling, another region bordering Ukraine, the Belgorod region, has refused from street events. This year the Immortal Regiment action will be held in an online format: Belgorod residents will be offered to place portraits of relatives who participated in the Great Patriotic War and other campaigns in social networks, said regional Minister of Youth Affairs Tatyana Kireeva. In addition, volunteers will conduct “memory tours”.
Vyacheslav Gladkov, Governor of the Belgorod Region, instructed to draw up a list of buildings with facades facing the streets by April 29. They will be decorated with portraits, children’s drawings and other paraphernalia as part of the Windows of Victory campaign.
The head of the region drew the attention of officials to the need for festive decoration of streets, noting that now it is “rather weak”. “In a difficult operational situation, no one removes from you the responsibility for the decoration of streets. We need state, regional, municipal flags, Victory flags, banners, rollers and images dedicated to the great Victory”, Gladkov emphasized.
In addition, the celebration of Victory Day decided to reduce in the Bryansk region. According to officials, “due to the high level of terrorist danger” in the region will not be held parade and fireworks. At the same time concerts and patriotic actions will not be canceled, and the Immortal Regiment will be held online.
In the Pskov region will also refrain from large-scale celebration of Victory Day. “It was decided that from the most mass events (in particular, the parade) it is advisable to refuse this year. At the same time, there will be activities for residents of all ages in smaller formats”, – said the Governor Mikhail Vedernikov.
In annexed Sevastopol, according to Komsomolskaya Pravda, both a parade and a procession of the Immortal Regiment will take place, but there will be no Marine Parade. The city government said that this event “does not take place every year”. Traditionally, the Marine Parade involves warships, the movement of which is led by the commander of the Black Sea Fleet. However, given the ongoing attacks from Ukraine, such an event is unsafe. Earlier it was reported that since the beginning of the war, the Black Sea Fleet has lost its flagship, five large landing ships and lost about a third of its combat power.
Last year, 23 Russian regions refused to celebrate May 9 on a large scale.
