For the second year in a row, the Kremlin has canceled the Immortal Regiment March, large rallies held throughout Russia on May 9 to commemorate the victory over Nazi Germany in 1945.

Victory Day parades in five regions of western Russia also have been canceled. British military officials said the areas are likely vulnerable to Ukrainian strikes by uncrewed aerial vehicles.

“In the run-up to last year’s Victory Day parade, there was a UAV attack on the Kremlin,” UK intelligence officials said Sunday in their latest assessment of the battlefield in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inauguration takes place on May 7, two days before Victory Day celebrations were to have commenced.

“The potential for protest and discontent over the Ukraine war are also likely to have influenced the calculus of the Russian leadership,” British officials posted on X.

• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.