Drone protection for Vladimir Putin using dubious means: Scene from an Internet video created with artificial intelligence. image: AI-generated/x
In Moscow, nervousness is increasing ahead of the May 9th celebrations – which represents an opportunity for Kiev to stoke fears of drone attacks.
May 6, 2026, 4:31 p.mMay 6, 2026, 4:31 p.m
However, it is undisputed that the Russian population is aware of the increasingly critical course of the war and is rebelling against the increasing restrictions on everyday life – especially in the digital space. Now that the mobile internet has been blocked in Moscow and St. Petersburg due to fears of drone attacks, there is talk of a “digital iron curtain”. According to the news agency Reuters The latest shutdown also affects electronic payment transactions and local navigation services.
A year ago, scenes in which worn-out Russian soldiers demonstrated captured toilet bowls and washing machines on Red Square dominated, but with the development of artificial intelligence, the film sequences have also become more sophisticated. A particularly sophisticated creation shows a bodyguard leading Putin, who was surprised by a drone attack, to the entrance to a protective bunker.
In reality, however, it is the entrance into a wooden coffin. And when the bodyguard nails the coffin and removes his face mask in the style of Tom Cruise’s “Mission Impossible”, he turns out to be the nasty smiling Ukrainian ex-secret service chief Budanov.
The intention behind this propaganda battle is clear: Ukraine is currently trying by all means possible to break the narrative of Putin’s invincible Russia. The May celebrations, which have been scaled down this year for security reasons, are particularly suitable targets. At the same time, Russian fears of disruptions to the Victory Parade by Ukrainian drone attacks are intended to increase.
Paranoia and fears of a coup surrounding Putin
An alleged intelligence report that has been making headlines for a few days also fits into the picture. The to selected media such as CNN and Important stories The leaked analysis describes an increasingly paranoid Russian security system that is driven by fears of a coup and internal power struggles.
At the top is Vladimir Putin, who, out of fear of assassinations and scheming subordinates, only bunkers down and allows security precautions to be tightened to extremes.
A typical motif of Ukrainian propaganda: washed-up Russian looters instead of proud warriors at the Moscow May Day parade.image: AI-generated/x
The Russia expert and author Sabine Adler finds the sources surrounding this intelligence report “pretty thin,” as she states in the current podcast by journalist Paul Ronzheimer. It is not even clear which European country the alleged information came from.
However, it is undisputed that the Russian population is aware of the increasingly critical course of the war and is rebelling against the increasing restrictions on everyday life – especially in the digital space. Now that the mobile internet has been blocked in Moscow and St. Petersburg due to fears of drone attacks, there is talk of a “digital iron curtain”. According to the news agency Reuters The latest shutdown also affects electronic payment transactions and local navigation services.
Two recent analyzes paint a picture of growing tensions within Russia. Political scientist Tatiana Stanovaya sees the system under increasing pressure: What is crucial is that more and more actors in the Russian elite perceive the status quo as a threat to their own survival.
In addition, doubts are growing as to whether President Vladimir Putin is still pursuing a clear strategy in the Ukraine war. The previous stability is beginning to erode, while Putin appears to be unwilling or unable to adjust his course.
Something Is Shifting Inside Russia
Recent developments inside Russia suggest the system is struggling to cope with mounting pressures. These include growing domestic strains, behind-the-scenes maneuvering among elites, rumors of a coup d’état, a tighter and more reactive grip…
— Tatiana Stanovaya (@Stanovaya) May 5, 2026
Investigative journalist Roman Anin’s assessment is similarly alarming the location. He sees Russia at a turning point with two possible developments: Either an even more repressive state based on the Iranian model, supported by loyal security forces, is established – or the country is heading towards a phase of internal unrest, including a power struggle and possible civil war.
Majority of Ukrainians oppose airstrike on May Day parade
It remains to be seen whether, given this situation, Vladimir Putin will be able to carry out his military parade on May 9th, which has always been intended as a demonstration of power, undisturbed. After the devastating air strikes on Ukrainian cities earlier in the week that left dozens dead and injured, an angry Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced the Kremlin as a cynical and terrorist regime.
Ukraine needs permanent protection from such attacks and not just for a few days when Putin announced a ceasefire to protect his May celebrations. From Kiev’s perspective, there would be a great temptation to disrupt the Moscow Victory Parade on May 9th with a drone attack for the first time since the beginning of the war.
But this would be tantamount to breaking a taboo even in Ukraine. Sabine Adler mentions a current, non-representative survey in Kiev in the Ronzheimer podcast. In this survey, a clear majority of Ukrainians surveyed spoke out against such an airstrike, which was perceived as infamous. (aargauerzeitung.ch)