Officials connected to the regional leadership in the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, Denis Pushilin and Leonid Pasechnik, along with the acting governors of the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, Yevgeny Balitsky and Vladimir Saldo, will not take part in the Victory Day parade in Moscow. They will remain in their respective areas to manage local duties. Their offices confirmed this arrangement through the press teams handling regional leadership communications.
The announced plan indicates that these leaders will carry out their duties close to home, supervising events and public services within their own jurisdictions on May 9. To maintain safety and stability, Victory Day commemorations in their regions are expected to be conducted online or presented in a condensed format if in-person gatherings are deemed risky.
Earlier reports noted that Belgorod’s mayor, Valentin Demidov, posted on a Telegram channel about suspending public holiday events planned for May 9 for security reasons. He stated that activities would resume or be reimagined once conditions allow for safe participation, stressing a cautious approach to public gatherings during the holiday.
In the broader context of the holiday ceremonies in Moscow, regional presidents and leaders from several states have been mentioned as participants in past years. Previous years saw participation by presidents from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Belarus, along with the prime minister of Armenia. There is ongoing attention to potential visits from leaders of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, while confirmation of an arrival by Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedow has yet to be announced. Notably, last year’s military parade in Moscow did not feature any world leaders, and the first international attendance dates back to 2005 when guests from 38 states were present. This mix of attendance and non-attendance highlights the fluctuating security considerations and diplomatic signals that accompany the event each year.