For the first time in 30 years, Russia has canceled the MAKS international air show due to security concerns following drone attacks.
This is stated in a British intelligence report.
Latest Defense Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – July 2, 2023.
Find out more about Defence Intelligence’s use of language: https://t.co/Okgrw8EpKD
🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/Cx7q07BjNH
– Ministry of Defense 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) July 2, 2023
“MAKS is an international air show held every two years in the Moscow region. They traditionally showcase the civilian and military aerospace sectors of the Russian Federation and try to attract customers for export.
The British Ministry of Defense notes that the war against Ukraine has significantly affected the development and functioning of the Russian aerospace community.
“It is likely that the air show was canceled in large part due to real security concerns following the recent drone attacks in Russia. The organizers were likely also aware of the potential reputational damage from the participation of fewer international delegations,” they said.
Meanwhile, the Commander-in-Chief of the Air and Space Forces, General Sergei Surovikin, has not appeared in public since the failed rebellion of the Wagner group, for whom he was the contact point in the Russian Defense Ministry.