Vladimir Putin humiliated as Russia cancels air show over 'security concerns'

02 July 2023 , 09:53

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Russia's most-important annual air show is off this year due to the threat of drones (Image: AP)

Yet another blow has been dealt against Vladimir Putin's authority as the risk of drone strikes pummelling Russian soil has forced him to cancel a major international air show.

In the Ministry of Defence's regular intelligence update, it announced that the recent drone attacks on Russian targets has raised the security risk.

The updated reads: "Russia has cancelled the 2023 iteration of MAKS, its premier international air show.

"MAKS - which usually takes place near Moscow - helps Russia to drive up exports for its military and civil aircraft by showcasing its best planes.

"The show has probably been cancelled due to genuine security concerns, following recent uncrewed aerial vehicle attacks inside Russia," it read.

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It comes a week after the Wagner Company halted its mutiny (AP)

Not a week has gone by in recent months without Ukrainian drone operators pummelling targets inside the Russian motherland from the skies.

But Putin is said to have also been concerned about international reputation should fewer foreign delegates show up amid the heightened security concerns.

The MOD continued: "The war has been exceptionally challenging for Russia's aerospace community.

The show is designed to drum up business for Russia's flailing aerospace industry (Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"The sector is struggling under international sanctions: highly trained specialists are being encouraged to serve as infantryin the Roscosmos space agency's own militia."

The statement ended with comments relating to the Wagner Group's "abortive mutiny" as it revealed that the Commander in Chief of the Aerospace Forces, Gen Sergei Surovikin, has not been seen since.

Surovikin was the key point of contact between the Wagner mercenaries and Russia's main Ministry of Defence.

No one has seen or heard from General Sergei Surovikin since the mutiny (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

It comes after it emerged that the unhinged warmonger may be planning to blow up Europe's biggest nuclear plant after ordering Russians to evacuate.

Enemy troops have held the Zaporizhzhia plant since the early days of the invasion of Ukraine, arriving around a month after the war began.

Last month Yevgeny Balitsky, governor of the partially-occupied province, ordered civilians from 18 settlements to leave the area - including Enerhodar, where most of the power station's staff live.

Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrainian president, warned today a “serious threat” remains in place at the plant, fuelling fears of a nuclear emergency which would dwarf Chernobyl’s 1986 disaster.

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Ryan Fahey