Terrified Putin cancels major public event amid assassination fears

The Russian leader went on to issue a chilling nuclear strike threat to the West from the safety of his office. 10:21, Sun, Jul 26, 2026 Updated: 10:21, Sun, Jul 26, 2026 The Russian leader went on to issue a chilling nuclear strike threat to the West from the safety of his office (Image: Getty)A frightened Vladimir Putin has been forced to cancel his major annual naval parades yet again today over fears of attacks by Ukrainian drones. It is usually a highlight of the year for Putin - but he evidently feared the assassination risk was too high.The Main Naval Parade at St Petersburg and military port Kronstadt was axed to be replaced with concerts, museum programmes and commemorative ceremonies. Parades usually taking place in other key naval ports in the Baltic, Black and Azov seas, as well as the Arctic and Pacific oceans, were also cancelled. The decision came after Ukrainian strikes in June on Kronstadt, a naval base that acts as headquarters of the Russian Baltic Fleet, and plays a key role in the parade.The Main Naval Parade at St Petersburg and military port Kronstadt is one of Putin's highlights (Image: Getty)This attack and others nearby disrupted Putin’s version of the Wor...