Putin has suspended the head of Russia’s air defence service after successive attacks by Ukrainian drones

Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed the commandant of Russia’s Aerospace Forces, according to a study by RBC citing an interior source.

General Viktor Afzalov, who had led the Aerospace Forces since 2023, has been replaced by Colonel-General Alexander Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky antecedently commanded Russian operations successful Syria during the precocious 2010s and has led the Eastern Military District since 2021.

According to The Moscow Times, the European Union has linked Tchaikovsky to alleged warfare crimes successful Bucha. He reportedly commanded units accused of wide civilian killings adjacent Kyiv. As a result, the European Union imposed idiosyncratic sanctions connected him connected March 16, 2026. He has besides been awarded the rubric “Hero of Russia.”

Leadership Shake-Up Follows Drone Attack Failures

The enactment alteration comes aft a bid of drone attacks that exposed weaknesses successful Russia’s aerial defence and rocket extortion systems.

In precocious March, drone strikes targeted large Russian lipid export ports successful the Baltic Sea, disrupting shipments. Throughout April, much than 20 attacks deed vigor infrastructure crossed the country, including astatine slightest 9 lipid refineries—several of which were forced to unopen down operations.

On the nighttime of May 4, an detonation was reported successful Moscow, conscionable a fewer kilometers from the Kremlin, during different drone attack. Local Telegram channels claimed that a drone struck an flat gathering adjacent Mosfilmovskaya Street, portion residents successful the surrounding portion reported sightings of drones flying overhead.

Scaled-Down Victory Day Parade

This year’s May 9 Victory Day parade connected Red Square volition beryllium importantly reduced successful scale. Unlike erstwhile years, the lawsuit volition reportedly diagnostic nary dense subject instrumentality and lone a azygous infantry unit. Attendance volition besides beryllium constricted to a fewer 100 guests, and the ceremonial is expected to past little than an hour.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Ukrainian drones could perchance look implicit Moscow during the parade, adding that Russia’s subject spot has declined compared to erstwhile years.