India’s Top Leadership Likely To Skip Russia’s Victory Day Parade On 9 May Amid Security Concerns After Pahalgam Terror Attack: Report

Amid growing tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of Pahalgam terror attack, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is likely to skip the Russia's Victory Day celebrations in Moscow on 9 May, India Today reported.

He was originally scheduled to attend the event on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose visit was called off in the light of last month's Pahalgam terror attack.

According to the India Today report, India will instead be represented by Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth at the event being held to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the former Soviet Union’s triumph over Nazi Germany in World War II.

While Russian officials did not specify the reason behind PM Modi skipping the annual event. However, the decision was reportedly driven by security concerns in the aftermath of the 22 April Pahalgam attack, in which 26 people were killed by Pakistan-linked terrorists.

Victory Day, a cornerstone of Russian national pride, typically sees participation from global dignitaries and military officials.

PM Modi had travelled to Russia twice last year—once for the annual bilateral summit and again for the BRICS summit in Kazan.

President Putin is scheduled to visit India later this year for the annual India-Russia summit.

Putin had earlier condemned the Pahalgam strike as a “brutal crime” and reaffirmed Russia’s solidarity with India in its fight against terrorism.

Following the deadly terror attack, PM Modi had declared that India will identify and track down the terrorists and their backers and will pursue them to the "ends of the earth".

At a high-level security briefing on Tuesday, the Prime Minister also granted the armed forces “complete operational freedom” to respond.

A rattled Pakistan has alleged that India may soon initiate a military strike on it in retaliation to the terror attack.

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