In recent times, the centerpiece of Russia Day -- a holiday that used to be a low-key observance of independence from the Soviet Union -- has been a tub-thumping spectacle with a flag-waving concert on Red Square.Not this year.For the first time in 23 years, the Russia Day concert just outside the Kremlin has been canceled, moved to a much less conspicuous indoor location, with far fewer big-name acts.It’s not the only marquee event that’s been scratched this year.MAKS, the preeminent showcase for the latest advances and technological offerings from Russia’s once-formidable aviation industry, has been canceled -- for a third year running.Don’t forget this year’s Victory Day parade; a markedly scaled-back ceremony on Red Square, with no big vehicles, fewer marching soldiers, and a shorter speech by President Vladimir Putin.
Oh, and what used to be the most important event for attracting foreign investors, an annual forum in Putin’s hometown, was literally clouded by plumes of burning oil smoke, ignited by Ukrainian drones.Looming over all these events: Ukraine’s advancing drone and missile capabilities, threatening refineries and defense plants more than 1,000 kilometers from the border – not to mention a Moscow skyscraper some six kilometers from the Kremlin. Another factor, analysts said, may be a desire to avoid exposing the growing gap between propaganda and reality.“It's likely that many public events were canceled or scaled back because of the drone threat but in reality, it also done for other reasons, such as minimizing the appearance of ‘pageantry’ in the midst of war,” said Samuel Bendett, an expert on Russian defense and technology at the Center for Naval Analyses, a US-based think tank.
