May ninth without tanks: Moscow fears Ukrainian drones

Published on May 05, 2026 | Translated from Spanish

Red Square will be without the roar of engines this May 9th. For the first time in two decades, the Kremlin has decided to cancel the military parade with armored vehicles. The official reason is none other than the growing threat of Ukrainian drones, capable of reaching the heart of Moscow and turning the celebration into a target.

An empty Red Square, without tanks or the roar of engines, under a gray sky; a Ukrainian drone looms menacingly in the distance.

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The Kremlin's decision reveals a tactical reality: attack drones, with operational ranges exceeding 500 km and satellite navigation systems, have shattered the myth of a safe rear. Ukraine has demonstrated the ability to saturate air defenses with low-cost swarms, forcing a rethink of security protocols for mass events. The threat is no longer an enemy fighter jet, but a carbon fiber quadcopter.

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Russian military pride is replaced by a Putin video conference and a pedestrian parade. The generals, accustomed to showing off missiles, now glue their faces to the radar like someone checking a weather app. In the end, the greatest firepower at the parade will be the umbrellas of the attendees, in case it rains. Never has a May 9th been so austere and, at the same time, so charged with tension.