The cancellation of the May 9 military parade set a precedent in Rostov-on-Don.
In Rostov-on-Don, the Victory Day military parade was not held today for the first time in several decades. Officials have not commented on the parade's cancellation, while problems with mobile phone service and internet were reported in the city center.
As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," the administration of the Myasnikovsky District of the Rostov Region cancelled all public events scheduled for Victory Day today. Authorities explained this decision by citing concerns for the safety of residents and a desire to focus on addressing the consequences of the drone attack that occurred on the night of May 8.
On the night of May 8, in the village of Chaltyr in the Myasnikovsky District, 50 private homes were damaged by a drone attack. Drones also struck the building of the regional center in Rostov-on-Don, which controls air traffic in southern Russia. As a result, operations at 13 airports were suspended. The restrictions were lifted later that day.
For the first time in many years, the Victory Day parade in Rostov-on-Don was cancelled today. There were no street closures in the city center, no military equipment, and no traditional parade, Kommersant reports.
"Some residents took to the streets with flags and military songs, but no large-scale celebratory events were held in the city center. The parade's cancellation was the first such incident in Rostov-on-Don in decades," the publication writes.
According to the publication, internet and mobile service outages were reported today in central Rostov-on-Don, including in the area of Theater Square.
Mayor Alexander Skryabin and Governor Yuri Slyusar did not announce or comment on the parade's cancellation on their Telegram channels, but they did congratulate Rostov residents on Victory Day today. Officials also did not announce a "drone threat" or new drone attacks. The city administration's website also posted congratulations today, but there was no announcement about the parade's cancellation.
On January 14, an air strike in Rostov-on-Don caused fires in homes and an industrial facility. One person was killed and four, including a four-year-old child, were hospitalized. That day, the military reported shooting down 25 drones in the region.
2026 marked the first year that the Victory Day parade on Theater Square in Rostov-on-Don was canceled, although no official announcement was made, according to 161.ru.
In the city center, where troops usually march and vehicles pass on this day, people, including families, were strolling today. Some of them laid flowers at the "Soldiers-Liberators of Rostov" stele, the publication notes.
As a reminder, the military parade in Volgograd took place today without modern combat vehicles; organizers limited themselves to a display of vintage equipment. The festive event was held amid communication restrictions and failed to generate much excitement among spectators.
A year ago, on May 9, 2025, military parades were held in several cities in the Southern Federal District: Rostov-on-Don, Novocherkassk, Novorossiysk, Maykop, Elista, and Astrakhan. In most cities, spectators were able to see columns of troops and equipment.
In 2024, the format of Victory Day celebrations was changed in a number of regions in southern Russia: parades were not held in Cherkessk and Krasnodar, and were held without spectators in Rostov-on-Don, Volgograd, and Novorossiysk. The previous year, parades were held in Volgograd, Vladikavkaz, Mozdok, Novorossiysk, Rostov-on-Don, Cherkessk, Stavropol, and Pyatigorsk.