Rajnath Singh likely to skip Russia’s Victory Day amid rising tensions with Pakistan

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is likely to skip Russia’s Victory Day celebrations in Moscow on May 9, in the wake of last month’s terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians.

Singh was initially scheduled to attend the event on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had been invited by the Kremlin. However, government sources indicated that the visit was called off due to the prevailing security situation following the April 22 terror strike.

Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth is now expected to represent India at the military parade, which marks the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.

Russia has not officially commented on the cancellation of PM Modi’s visit. The Victory Day celebrations are considered one of Russia’s most significant national events and are typically attended by global leaders and top military delegations.

Prime Minister Modi had visited Russia twice last year — once for the annual bilateral summit with President Vladimir Putin and again for the BRICS summit in Kazan. Putin is expected to visit India later this year for the annual India-Russia summit.

Following the Pahalgam attack, President Putin had condemned the violence, calling it a “brutal crime,” and reiterated Russia’s support for India in combating terrorism.

Meanwhile, India has stepped up its security posture. In a high-level meeting, PM Modi reportedly gave the armed forces “complete operational freedom” to respond to the attack. “India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backers at the ends of the earth,” the Prime Minister said.