Unlike last year, when Ukrainian forces did not have many unmanned aerial vehicles, these regions now fear the specter of a Ukrainian drone attack. Moreover, other May 9 parades have been canceled not only in those regions neighboring Ukraine but also in cities quite far from the frontlines, including in Pskov ( Pskov.kp.ru, April 29) and even Tyumen in Western Siberia (, April 22). Now, the Russian regions themselves have been forced to increase their defensive posturing. Today, the Kremlin’s “special military operation,” during which it planned to take Kyiv in less than two weeks, looks completely different after over a year of fierce fighting. On the contrary, this presence is causing the regions to fear that they will become an easy target for Ukraine’s counteroffensive. Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov stated that he did not want to “provoke the enemy with a large number of equipment and military personnel in the city center.” Thus, the situation in Russia is beginning to look typical for that of a losing army, as the concentration of Russian troops in any region no longer means that the locals are secure. In early April 2023, the authorities in a few Russian regions bordering Ukraine-Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk-decided to refuse to hold the regular military parade in honor of Victory Day on May 9 ( Svoboda, April 10).
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