The Kremlin has revoked accreditation for major foreign media outlets ahead of Russia’s May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow, allowing only Russian state media to cover the event.
According to German outlet Spiegel, foreign journalists who had already received official approval were informed by phone that their permits had been canceled.
Among the outlets reportedly stripped of access were ARD, ZDF, Sky News, AFP, Rai and NHK.
A Kremlin official told the German outlet the move was linked to a change in the “format” of parade coverage “due to the current situation,” adding that “only Russian media outlets are now permitted.”
Spiegel said it was the first known case in which foreign media were granted accreditation for the annual May 9 celebrations only to have it withdrawn days before the event.
This year’s Victory Day parade on Moscow’s Red Square is expected to take place in a scaled-down format, without the traditional display of heavy military equipment. Only marching military units are expected to participate.
The guest list is also noticeably smaller than last year’s heavily promoted 80th anniversary celebrations. In 2025, the Kremlin said 29 foreign leaders attended the parade, including Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
This year, only a limited number of foreign leaders are expected in Moscow, including Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim and Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith.
Milorad Dodik, the former president of Republika Srpska, the Serb entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is also expected in Moscow.
The Kremlin’s guest list also includes leaders of Russian-backed breakaway territories, among them Abkhaz leader Badra Gunba and South Ossetian leader Alan Gagloev.
The event comes amid heightened security concerns and warnings of possible disruptions in Moscow. Russian mobile operators have reportedly alerted residents that mobile internet and SMS services may experience outages between May 5 and May 9.
Meanwhile, Russian-installed authorities in occupied Crimea have canceled May 9 military parades and mass events, while at least 15 Russian regions have reportedly scrapped Victory Day parades altogether.