Vladimir Putin re-established Navy Day in 2017, nearly four decades after it was cancelled by the Soviets.
Honoring Russia’s sailors, Navy Day falls on the last Sunday of July each year. Usually, warships and submarines pass through St Petersburg.
But this year was the first time Putin didn’t show up — as the entire navy parade was cancelled for “security reasons”, which were not publicly expanded upon.
Instead, Putin released a video in which he praised the heroism and bravery of Russian soldiers fighting for Ukraine.
“It has to do with the general situation. Security reasons are of utmost importance,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, rather vaguely indeed.
But St Petersburg hasn’t had reason to jubilate recently: with Russia facing significant retaliatory drone strikes on behalf of Ukraine in recent months, 10 were intercepted of 100 launched on July 27 just around St Petersburg, wounding one woman and delaying dozens of flights at St Petersburg’s Pulkovo airport.
Meanwhile, Putin declared that the same week saw drills launched in the Baltic and Caspian seas, as well as in the Arctic and Pacific oceans, involving more than 150 ships and over 15,000 troops.
