The Kremlin said additional security measures are being introduced to protect Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of the country’s upcoming Victory Day celebrations on May 9.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Russian security services are increasing protective measures due to what Moscow described as a continuing threat from Ukraine, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.

Victory Day marks the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II and is one of Russia’s most important national commemorations. Putin is expected to oversee the traditional military parade on Red Square in Moscow and deliver a speech.

Russian authorities said this year’s parade will be scaled down for security reasons, with fewer displays of heavy military hardware such as tanks and missiles.

The announcement comes as Moscow remains on heightened alert over possible drone attacks and other disruptions. Russian officials said air defenses intercepted dozens of drones approaching the capital this week, while a residential building in Moscow was reportedly struck by a drone earlier in the week.

Peskov also dismissed Western media reports claiming the Kremlin had sharply increased security around Putin because of fears of a coup or assassination attempt, rejecting the reports as unreliable.

Meanwhile, tensions between Russia and Ukraine remain high despite separate ceasefire announcements made by both sides around the May 8–9 period. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized Moscow for failing to agree to a broader and longer-term ceasefire proposal.

Victory Day has increasingly become a central political and symbolic event during the ongoing war, with Russian leadership using the occasion to rally domestic support and draw historical parallels with World War II.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada