Pandemic derails Russia's plans for lavish Victory Day celebrations

Russians are being urged to mark their Victory Day national holiday at home on Saturday after the coronavirus pandemic forced the Kremlin to postpone a huge military parade and derailed its political and economic plans.

President Vladimir Putin initially played down the impact of Covid-19 on Russia before calling off an April vote on constitutional changes that would allow him to remain in office until 2036.

He then postponed a Red Square display of military hardware and thousands of troops that the leaders of China and France had planned to attend, in what would have been a celebration of 75 years since the defeat of Nazi Germany and a show of how Russia has regained influence during Mr Putin's 20-year rule.

Dozens of Russian cities will still hold military fly-pasts and firework displays over the weekend, but people are being told to watch on television or from their balconies after several days on which new Covid-19 cases rose by more than 10,000.

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Russia has now registered 187,859 infections, the fifth highest total in the world, but only 1,723 fatalities from Covid-19, leading to questions over how cause-of-death is being determined in official figures.

Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin has said some 300,000 people in the city are probably infected – more than three times the official number – and he extended lockdown in the capital until May 31st, even as some Russian regions hope to start easing restrictions from Tuesday.

“Along with the rest of Russia we planned to celebrate the anniversary of victory...in a particularly solemn and grand way. However, our plans were disrupted by coronavirus, an invisible and dangerous enemy,” Mr Sobyanin said on Friday. “So dear friends, despite it being a holiday, I strongly ask that you stay at home during the coming days.”

Opposition figures accuse Mr Putin of failing to help private businesses and their employees during lockdown as the national economy reels from the impact of coronavirus and a slump in world oil prices.

Mr Putin has sent medical supplies to several states and called for sanctions relief and more international co-operation during the crisis. The Kremlin says he has spoken to the leaders of Germany, France, Britain and other countries in recent days.

According to its account of Mr Putin's conversation with US president Donald Trump, they evoked their peoples' wartime alliance in noting that "Russia and the US could achieve a lot in solving the pressing problems of our time" by tackling issues, including regional conflicts and epidemics.