Embassy Alerts Americans To “Avoid Large Public Gatherings” On Russia’s Victory Day

The US Embassy in Moscow is warning any remaining Americans that are currently in Russia to avoid all large public gatherings on Monday, for the May 9th ‘Victory Day’ celebrations commemorating the 77th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.

“Annual Victory Day celebrations, including the main parade in Red Square, will take place in Moscow through May 9. Local authorities will restrict movement in event areas to facilitate rehearsals for the event,” the embassy said in a security alert issued Friday.

US Embassy in Moscow, Wiki Commons

“In the past, there have been heightened police presence surrounding these events. Given the ongoing tensions, U.S. citizens should avoid large public gatherings. Smaller Victory Day events are expected throughout Russia,” it added, while noting: “The embassy may not always be aware of the exact time and place of these events in advance.”

It appears the concern here is that amid tensions between the US and Russia at boiling-point, and as the Biden administration deepens the US military and intelligence role in Ukraine in what’s clearly now a proxy war (Pentagon denials of this term notwithstanding), individual Americans could be subject to random violent attack. Or alternately, they could be subject to arrest by authorities, perhaps on suspicions of “spying” or disturbing the peace.

Though Washington and much of Europe already recognizes that the Feb.24 invasion and military operations that have followed do in fact already constitute a war, speculation has abounded in international media that President Putin could use Victory Day to issue a formal declaration of war against Ukraine – instead of what is currently dubbed a “special military operation”.

These predictions have been dismissed by the Kremlin, however, which is believed to have set a goal of achieving liberation of the Donbas by May 9th, despite FM Sergey Lavrov recently denying that there’s any specific “timeline” affixed to military operations in Ukraine.

Prior V-Day events focused on Red Square have included many thousands of soldiers marching in formation, along with hundreds or thousands of pieces of military hardware passing through, including fighter jets roaring overhead. This year the spectacle is expected to be smaller given the Russian military focus on ongoing operations in Ukraine; however, there’s talk of a “doomsday” surprise.

NEW: Western officials believe that Putin has a wide menu of options to escalate the war in Ukraine on ‘Victory Day’

Russia could declare victories on unconquered territories, hold parades in occupied areas of Ukraine, or announce a mass mobilization.https://t.co/nmzw49zNrJ

— Jack Detsch (@JackDetsch) May 6, 2022

“A fly-past over St Basil’s Cathedral will include supersonic fighters, Tu-160 strategic bombers and – for the first time since 2010 – the Il-80 ‘doomsday’ command plane, which would carry Russia’s top brass in the event of a nuclear war, the Defence Ministry said,” one report details.

“In that scenario, the Il-80 is designed to become the roaming command center for the Russian president. It is packed with technology but specific details are Russian state secrets.” Obviously this is being taken in the West as an ominous warning and ‘message’ of what could happen if direct Russia-NATO military confrontation ensues over Ukraine.