VLADIMIR Putin has mysteriously cancelled his annual naval parade at the last-minute as Russia’s war losses continue to mount.
Since Putin’s 2022 invasion, Ukraine has successfully destroyed more than a third of Russia’s combat vessels in the Black Sea and has also eliminated over a million Russian soldiers.
Russia’s event is often touted as an opportunity for Putin to show off his military might but Kremlin officials are yet to provide an explanation into why it has been axed.
The Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation first announced the cancellation online as they said: “The Kremlin can no longer pretend that the war doesn’t affect Russia’s home front.
“The war impacts all areas of life in Russia, even symbolic and high-profile events like the navy parade.
“Today, Russian warships cannot feel safe even on their own territory.
“Against this backdrop, the news that Russia’s only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, will be decommissioned and scrapped is especially telling.”
Work on the hulking aircraft carrier was suspended earlier this month with reports suggesting the vessel is doomed for the scrapheap.
Ukraine has systematically laid waste to Putin’s naval forces since 2022 in kamikaze drone and missile attacks.
In 2024, Putin’s newest and only remaining missile cruiser in the Black Sea was destroyed by Ukraine forces.
The “Zyklon” was taken out alongside the 266-M minesweeper, Kovrovets, in a devastating ATACMS missiles strike.
Its sinking was part of Ukraine’s ongoing campaign targeting the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
Last April, Ukraine’s Navy said it had struck the salvage ship Kommuna – the oldest ship still serving in the Russian Navy.
Ukraine’s top brass say they have decimated 34 per cent of the Black Sea Fleet’s 184 warships had been disabled.
It is not the first time Putin has been forced to axe an annual Russian celebration due to the raging conflict.
He was made to cancel midnight firework displays across Russia on New Year’s Eve as a joyless consequence of his war.
There were even claims that the war-wounded could be scared of the noise from fireworks.
Despite facing crippling losses Putin has continued to launch deadly strikes on Ukrainian civilians in recent days as he continues to anger the US.
America has accused Moscow of dragging out the war with their senseless attacks instead of agreeing to a peace deal.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio told Fox News on Saturday that President Donald Trump is now growing “impatient” with Putin’s delaying tactics.
He said: “I think he is growing increasingly frustrated that despite having very good interaction with Vladimir Putin in phone calls, it never leads to anything.
“The time has come for some action here, and I think the president has made that abundantly clear.
“He’s losing his patience, he is losing his willingness to continue to wait for the Russian side to do something here to bring an end to this war.
“That wasn’t his war, but he wants to see it come to an end.”
The US has been trying to force Putin to negotiate a deal with Trump issuing a blistering 50-day ultimatum to Russia earlier this month saying he must agree to a ceasefire of face crippling sanctions.
He vented his frustration with the despot, declaring he was “disappointed” but “not done” with him.
The US and Kyiv have also been pushing to get Vlad to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky in what would be the first meeting of the pair since Russia‘s illegal invasion.
But the Kremlin was quick to dismiss both Western leaders as Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov officially said a meeting won’t take place unless a peace deal is ready to be finalised.
This isn’t likely to happen until the end of August at the earliest, he added.
Hours after, Putin ordered his troops to unleash another deadly blitz on civilians.
At least six Ukrainians were killed in the horror Russian strikes which targeted a high rise building and left a shopping mall up in flames.
Kharkiv, Novodvoryansky, Dnipro and Kamianske were all targeted.
