Russians cancel 9 May Victory Day parade in Crimea this year

Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-appointed "head" of occupied Crimea, has announced that for security reasons, the 9 May Victory Day parade and the "Immortal Regiment" propaganda march will not be held on the peninsula [Victory Day is a Russian holiday commemorating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in 1945, celebrated on 9 May – ed.].

Source: Aksyonov on Telegram

Quote: "There are no plans to hold a military parade and the 'Immortal Regiment' march in the Republic of Crimea on 9 May. This is due to security issues."

Details: The Russian proxy vowed that the Russians would hold celebrations and "commemorations" in other ways. "In short, Crimea will celebrate the Victory Day with dignity," Aksyonov said.

Background:

• In January, in an interview with The Economist, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Crimea and the related battle in the Black Sea would become the war's centre of gravity in 2024.
• Zelenskyy believes that isolating occupied Crimea and weakening Russia's military capabilities there "is extremely important for us, because it's the way for us to reduce the number of attacks from that region." "Russia has to know that for us, this [the Kerch Bridge connecting mainland Russia and Crimea] is a military object," Zelenskyy stressed.

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