Vladimir Putin has been left red-faced after Russia was apparently forced to cancel its annual Victory Day military parade in occupied Crimea, days after a Ukrainian sea drone destroyed a £35 million Russian fighter jet in a huge blow to the Kremlin’s military prestige. The parade, which was scheduled to be held in the port city of Sevastopol on May 9, was scrapped over alleged "security concerns," Russian-installed governor Mikhail Razvozhayev is quoted as saying, according to the Kyiv Independent.

The event traditionally marks the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany and has become a centrepiece of Putin’s efforts to rally domestic support for his war in Ukraine. It comes just two days after a Ukrainian sea drone strike reportedly downed a Russian Su-30 jet close to the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk on Friday — an unprecedented attack hailed by Kyiv as the first time a sea drone has destroyed an aircraft. The jet, worth an estimated £35 million, was said to have crashed into the sea following the blast.

Sevastopol, home to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, has been under occupation since Moscow illegally annexed Crimea in 2014.

While it has hosted annual Victory Day celebrations for years, this year’s cancellation has raised fresh questions about the Kremlin’s ability to secure key sites, even deep inside occupied territory.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned last week that foreign officials considering attendance at Russia’s May 9 commemorations elsewhere could be in danger, claiming Moscow may be planning "provocations, including arsons, explosions or other actions" to pin on Ukraine.

Russia has remained tight-lipped on the details of the Novorossiysk strike, but Ukrainian military intelligence confirmed the use of a sea drone and said the destroyed aircraft had been on a combat mission at the time.

The incident underscores Ukraine’s growing success in deploying innovative unmanned technology to target Russia’s naval and air assets, particularly in the Black Sea region, where the Kremlin’s forces have suffered repeated setbacks over the past year.

Victory Day, typically marked by large-scale parades across Russian cities, has become increasingly politicised under Putin, who uses the occasion to draw parallels between the Soviet war effort and Russia’s current invasion of Ukraine.

But this year’s events are being scaled back across several regions, reportedly due to fears of sabotage, drone strikes and mounting security threats.

The cancellation in Sevastopol represents a particularly embarrassing reversal. The city has long been a symbol of Russian military pride, but it has been hit by a string of Ukrainian strikes targeting fuel depots, naval vessels and command centres in recent months.

Ukrainian forces have focused heavily on undermining Russian control in Crimea, using long-range missiles, sea drones and sabotage operations to disrupt supply lines and damage infrastructure. Western officials have said these efforts are aimed at weakening Russia’s grip on the peninsula and pushing back its fleet.

For Putin, the decision to call off the Sevastopol parade will be seen as a symbolic setback.

The Russian leader has repeatedly portrayed Crimea as an integral part of the Russian Federation and has pledged to defend it "by all means."

While the Kremlin insists it remains in full control of the region, the loss of a multi-million-pound aircraft and the scrapping of a flagship military ceremony are likely to dent that narrative, particularly as Ukraine ramps up its campaign to reclaim the peninsula.

Moscow has yet to officially comment on the cancellation, but Russian commentators have admitted that this year’s Victory Day will be marked by a much more subdued tone.

Since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Kremlin has significantly increased security at key sites across Russia and occupied territory.

Officials remain on constant alert for potential assassination attempts, particularly as the war drags on and internal dissent grows.

Putin has claimed multiple times that Ukraine and its Western allies are plotting to destabilise Russia from within, citing alleged attempts on his life and targeted strikes near sensitive facilities.

He is still expected to preside over a military parade in Moscow’s Red Square on May 9, marking Victory Day despite heightened security risks. Foreign dignitaries have been invited, but it is not clear who is likely to attend.