Russia calls off its annual combat-drone jamboree, worried Ukraine would strike the event
Organizers have canceled “Dronnitsa,” the all-Russian gathering of combat drone operators that had been scheduled for August 29–30 in Veliky Novgorod, about 100 kilometers (75 miles) from Vladimir Putin’s residence.
The event’s Telegram channel said on August 12 that the gathering had been postponed indefinitely after receiving information about “the enemy’s plans to strike the gathering while it is underway”:
Given the hybrid nature of the anticipated attack — a combination of new ballistic weapons and the usual bio-drone terrorists — keeping everyone at Dronnitsa safe would’ve meant pulling in a ton of air-defense and security personnel, leaving facilities and enterprises across the Novgorod region and neighboring areas temporarily exposed.
Organizers promised to reschedule the gathering for another time and place.
This would have been the fifth time “Dronnitsa” was held in Veliky Novgorod; in previous years, it took place at Lake Ilmen.
Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva — believed to be the mother of three of the Russian president’s children — has a home near Putin’s residence in Valdai, the investigative outlet Proekt reported in 2023. Several dozen towers for air defense systems are located near the residence.
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