Russia cancels major Red Square military jamboree amid drone attacks

Moscow has canceled a major military music festival four days before its scheduled start, organizers announced on Telegram. The Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival, established in 2007 at President Vladimir Putin's directive, draws thousands of attendees and unites numerous military bands on Red Square near the Kremlin.

This event stands alongside Russia's other significant military-themed occasions, such as May 9's Victory Day parade and the Navy Day show in St. Petersburg. The Spasskaya Tower festival, however, has only been canceled once prior – in 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In its early years, the festival welcomed military bands from EU nations, Australia, and Canada. Nevertheless, the number of international participants has dwindled since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. According to the festival's Telegram channel, "the event has been postponed until 2027 due to circumstances beyond the organizers' control."

This decision comes in the face of an upsurge in Ukrainian drone attacks on the Russian capital. Over the weekend, Kyiv's forces orchestrated one of the largest assaults on Moscow in recent months, deploying over 600 drones towards the Russian capital and neighboring region. These strikes, which according to Russian media targeted Wildberries, a prominent Russian online marketplace, as well as logistics warehouses, ignited significant fires and claimed a single life.

Earlier this month, the Kremlin opted to cancel another Red Square event – a gala concert commemorating Russia Day. The Victory Day parade on May 9 was held on a scaled-down basis and, for the first time in nearly two decades, without heavy military equipment.