Putin Cancels 200-Ship Navy Parade, Predicts Ukraine Will Fall Apart
Updated
Updated · The Daily Beast · Jul 26
Putin Cancels 200-Ship Navy Parade, Predicts Ukraine Will Fall Apart
3 articles · Updated · The Daily Beast · Jul 26
Summary
Putin scrapped Russia’s Navy Day parade in St. Petersburg over feared Ukrainian strikes, replacing the event with a televised meeting with sailors.
At that appearance, the 73-year-old leader said Ukraine would eventually “fall apart” and claimed its western regions—described as Stalin-era “gifts”—would one day revert to Poland, Hungary and Romania.
He also tried to project strength, insisting Russia’s navy could fulfill all missions and was expanding its nuclear strike capabilities, though some sailors appeared unconvinced.
The canceled parade came as Ukrainian drone attacks have hit Russian oil facilities and Wildberries warehouses, worsening fuel shortages and inflicting losses such as one seller’s roughly 1 million-ruble hit.
The episode adds to signs of strain around the Kremlin, with pro-war voices acknowledging difficulties and Zelensky saying people close to Putin have privately blamed him for the war and Russia’s losses.