Amid preparations for the Victory Day military parade in Russia on May 9th, Ukrainian drones have carried out consecutive attacks on Moscow for two nights, forcing the temporary closure of four airports in the Russian capital and affecting nine others. It is expected that Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping will attend the parade.
Mayor of Moscow, Sergey Sobyanin, stated that at least 19 Ukrainian drones were shot down in the early hours of Tuesday, with debris falling on main roads, but there have been no reports of casualties. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported intercepting a total of 105 drones nationwide that night.
The attacks come as Xi Jinping is set to arrive in Moscow for a three-day state visit and to participate in the parade on Friday. Victory Day is a significant political event for Russian President Putin, used to showcase military strength and rally national sentiment.
However, Russian authorities have canceled parades in southern regions such as Sevastopol in Crimea and Krasnodar due to security concerns. Local officials have warned that frequent air raid alerts have raised the risk level for events.
Despite Putin’s announcement of a unilateral three-day “humanitarian ceasefire” last month, Ukrainian President Zelensky insists on at least a 30-day ceasefire to be meaningful. He emphasized that he would not “play superficial games to create an atmosphere” and prevent Putin from breaking out of isolation on May 9th.
In addition to Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Lula, Vietnam Communist Party General Secretary Su Lin, and Belarusian President Lukashenko are expected to attend the Red Square parade.
Zelensky recently requested Beijing to clarify the identities of two captured Chinese soldiers in Ukraine and pointed out that there may be more Chinese personnel within the Russian military. Beijing has denied involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
According to CNN, since Putin’s announcement of a three-day “humanitarian ceasefire” on April 29th, Russian forces have launched 1,856 attacks on Ukraine, resulting in at least 43 deaths and 329 injuries.
Washington continues to urge both sides to achieve a “permanent ceasefire,” but progress in the peace talks promoted by the United States has been slow.
Meanwhile, according to Ukrainian reports, Ukrainian forces recently shot down a Russian Su-30 fighter jet using a naval drone for the first time and maintain a military presence in the Kursk region of Russia, contradicting Russian claims of having “fully recaptured” the area.