Military celebration in August, scheduled by Russia, has been called off. - Military demonstration in August, scheduled by Russia, has been called off
The international military-technical forum "Army-2025," scheduled to take place from August 11 to 14 at the Patriot military park near Moscow, has been postponed to a later, undisclosed date. Since its inception in 2015, the exhibition has been the main presentation platform for the Russian Ministry of Defense, showcasing military hardware, including new developments like drones, to over 1,500 participants from around the world.
The cancellation of Army-2025 stems from several key reasons, primarily linked to security concerns and the broader impact of the ongoing war with Ukraine. The heightened threat of drone strikes, following recent Ukrainian UAV strikes targeting Russian military sites near Moscow, has led to increased security measures, making the organization of large military events riskier.
Additionally, Russia's defense sector is strained by wartime economic mobilization, sanctions, and front-line demands. The degraded condition of the defense industry has undermined the forum’s purpose as a showcase for military technology, with fewer new weapons to showcase and collapsing foreign contracts.
Furthermore, the general decline in Russia’s military-technical presentation capacity is evident, as other major defense events like the MAKS airshow have also been canceled, reflecting Russia's technological and industrial challenges amid the ongoing conflict and economic pressures.
Despite the cancellation, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has ordered that the Russian defense industry must continue to fulfill its contractual obligations for weapons deliveries to other countries. However, the lack of an official statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense and forum organizers regarding the cancellation has left the timeline for a rescheduled event uncertain.
Air traffic is frequently restricted in the Moscow region due to the drone threat. It is not yet clear if this is directly related to the cancellation of the military forum, but almost daily, Ukrainian drones are being shot down in the Moscow region, according to the Ministry of Defense.
Last year, delegations from over 100 countries were invited to the exhibition, making it a significant event on the international military calendar. With no new date announced for the rescheduled event, the future of Army-2025 remains uncertain.
[1] Tass. (2025). Army-2025 military forum postponed due to security concerns. Retrieved from https://tass.com/defense/1304694 [2] Reuters. (2025). Russia cancels Army-2025 military forum, no new date set. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-cancels-army-2025-military-forum-no-new-date-set-2025-07-15/ [3] The Diplomat. (2025). Why Russia Cancelled Its Major Military Exhibition Army-2025. Retrieved from https://thediplomat.com/2025/07/why-russia-cancelled-its-major-military-exhibition-army-2025/ [4] Tass. (2025). Drone threat forces Moscow to restrict air traffic. Retrieved from https://tass.com/russia/1304566 [5] Sputnik News. (2025). Russia Postpones Army-2025 Military Forum Amidst Security Concerns. Retrieved from https://sputniknews.com/20250715/russia-postpones-army-2025-military-forum-amidst-security-concerns-1086598106.html
In light of the heightened security concerns due to the ongoing war with Ukraine, particularly the threat of drone strikes, the community policy regarding large-scale events has become stricter, leading to the postponement of the Army-2025 military forum. The changed casino-and-gambling rules for such events have pushed organizers to prioritize safety over spectacle, with the new employment policies within the defense sector focusing on maintaining security and fulfilling contractual obligations, rather than showcasing military technology.
