Russia Cancels Navy Day Ship Parade—and Gives Putin a Submarine Poster Instead

Russian authorities abandoned the traditional Navy Day ship parade in St. Petersburg, leaving Russian leader Vladimir Putin to appear in front of a giant submarine poster instead of an assembled fleet.

Footage of Putin’s July 26 visit, as shown by Russian media IZ.RU, showed a large printed image of a submarine positioned behind him where warships would normally dominate the celebration.

Rather than holding the customary naval formations in St. Petersburg and Kronstadt, officials limited the program to concerts, museum exhibitions, and commemorative ceremonies.

Traditional celebrations were also canceled at Russian naval bases across the Baltic, Black and Azov seas, as well as in the Arctic and Pacific regions.

Russian authorities did not publicly explain why the fleet was kept away from the ceremonies. The decision, however, may reflect concerns over a possible Ukrainian drone attack on ships gathered in exposed formations.

It is worth noting that Russia was not even expected to hold its annual Main Naval Parade in St. Petersburg in 2026, marking the second consecutive year the event has been canceled.

Previously, Russia held its annual May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow without the traditional display of armored vehicles.

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