Russian city Perm cancels Victory Day parade after wave of Ukrainian drone strikes

Prefer on Google by Abbey Fenbert Illustrative image: A woman walks past a Victory Day banner in central Moscow on May 6, 2026. (Igor Ivanko / AFP via Getty Images) The city of Perm, the administrative center of Russia's Perm Krai region, has canceled its Victory Day military parade scheduled for May 9 due to safety concerns, Perm Krai Governor Dmitry Makhonin announced on May 7. The decision follows a wave of recent Ukrainian drone attacks on oil infrastructure in Perm, including an overnight strike the night before Makhonin's announcement. "Following the results of the operational meeting, it was decided not to hold a parade of troops of the Perm garrison on May 9," Makhonin said on Telegram. "This was done to ensure the safety of residents and not to distract law enforcement agencies from carrying out tasks to protect their fellow citizens." President Volodymyr Zelensky reported on May 7 that Ukraine had struck targets in Perm and other areas deep within Russia during strikes the over previous night. He referred to these attacks as "long-range sanctions" in response to Russia's repeated ceasefire violations leading up to Victory Day. Russia announced a ceasefire for May 8-9 ahead of its annual Victory Day celebrations in Moscow. Ukraine responded by proposing its own ceasefire starting at midnight on May 6. Zelensky later said Russia violated the Ukrainian-proposed ceasefire 1,820 times by the morning of May 6, only hours after it took effect. Victory Day, observed on May 9, celebrates the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. Russia typically uses the occasion to display its military might with large-scale parades in Moscow and demonstrations across the country. In recent years, the celebrations have been an opportunity to spread propaganda justifying Russia's full-scale invasion in Ukraine. This year, however, Russia's celebrations have been scaled back — in part due to Ukraine's increased long-range strike capabilities. Perm lies more than 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) from the Ukrainian border. An oil pumping station in Perm was struck by Ukrainian drones two nights in a row on April 29 and 30, a week before Zelensky reported the May 7 strike. The Perm station is a major oil transit hub used for receiving, storing, and pumping crude through Russia's main pipeline network.