Russian authorities have canceled the traditional Russia Day concert on Red Square in Moscow – for the first time since the celebrations began in 2003. As the Kyiv Post reports, citing the Russian portal Msk1, the event planned for June 12 was quietly moved to the Mossovet Cultural Center in eastern Moscow. The originally announced star lineup is largely not performing.
The concert, titled “The Strength of Russia Lies in the Unity of Its People,” was to feature patriotic singer Shaman and other Russian artists. State broadcaster Rossiya 1 had planned to broadcast the “grand festive concert” live from Red Square on Friday evening. Msk1 gave no reason for the relocation.
The cancellation comes amid heightened security concerns and a recent wave of Ukrainian drone attacks on the Russian capital. Weeks earlier, authorities had held the traditional Victory Day military parade on Red Square without displaying military equipment for the first time since 2007. The Defense Ministry cited the “current operational situation,” while the Kremlin referred to a Ukrainian “terror threat.”
Source: www.kyivpost.com
