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The Kremlin is concerned about the prospect of a drone attack during the annual May 9 parade in the heart of Moscow, according to a Ukrainian media outlet.
Claims in the report by Obozrevatel come as Russian authorities announced that Red Square would be closed for an unprecedented two weeks ahead of the commemorations marking the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
Citing law enforcement sources, the publication published screenshots of what it said were documents outlining what would happen in case an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) "is detected on the territory of the parade square."
A radio operator would report it to the chief of a mechanized column and "request permission to suppress it." Russia's main security agency, the FSB, would be informed, the article said, which stated how the Kremlin was "seriously frightened" by the threat posed by Ukrainian drones.
A Ukrainian official shared a bird's-eye video of Moscow's Red Square on Monday and dropped hints that something might be afoot for May 9.
"Ukrainian drone flies calmly over Moscow. It seems that the Kremlin has every chance to be in the affected area very soon. Fireworks planned for May 9th?" Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine's minister of internal affairs, posted on Telegram.
Noting the lengthy closure of Red Square before the parade, Gerashchenko also said on Twitter on Tuesday: "But there is one more thing, drones fall from the sky. The physical closure of the square does not protect from that."
On Tuesday, Russia's state-run news agency Tass said three drones with cameras were found in different areas of the Moscow region.
Volodymyr Yatsenko, a co-founder of Ukrainian online bank Monobank and the manufacturer of Dovbush T10 reconnaissance drones, has said he would give at least 20 million hryvnias ($543,000) to a drone manufacturer who lands a drone on Red Square in Moscow on May 9.
The documents cited by Obozrevatel also describe how the parade would showcase over 40 tanks, which include T-72s, T-80s and T-90s. There would also be eight Iskander missile systems, eight S-400 air defense systems and around 100 armored personnel carriers and other military vehicles. Newsweek has contacted the Kremlin for comment.
The military parade in Moscow is the centerpiece of celebrations on May 9 which feature a speech by President Vladimir Putin. However, Red Square will be closed off between April 27 and May 10, the Federal Guard Service, which provides security for the Kremlin, said in a statement.
This will be the longest ever restriction to the area, The Moscow Times reported. In 2018, Red Square was closed between May 4 and May 9, and in 2019, between May 6 and May 9. Before last year's Victory Day parade, the first since Putin's invasion of Ukraine, Red Square was closed from May 4.
May 9 events are held all around Russia to promote patriotism and spur support for Russia's armed forces, but the country has been on heightened alert following cross-border shellings, which have targeted military facilities and airfields.
Russian authorities have blamed Kyiv for explosions at two military airfields located deep inside Russia's territory at the end of 2022.
The Russian regions of Kursk and Belgorod have canceled their parades, as have Russian-installed authorities in the occupied Crimea peninsula.
Meanwhile, on Monday, Moscow's Vnukovo Airport halted take-offs and landings for several hours due to an unidentified drone.
Security threats have also caused the cancelation of the Immortal Regiment march. The event sees Russians parade through cities across the country on May 9 as they carry images of relatives who fought in what is known in the country as the Great Patriotic War.
About the writer
Brendan Cole is a Newsweek Senior News Reporter based in London, UK. His focus is Russia and Ukraine, in particular ... Read more