Russia May Stage 'Provocations' Against Its Own Civilian People Ahead Of 'Victory Day': Intel

Russia could be preparing to stage provocations against its own citizens ahead of Tuesday's Victory Day as the war stretches into its 15th month, according to Ukrainian intelligence.

Andrii Yusov, the representative of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, raised the warning during a 24/7 national joint newscast. He added that such a strategy was already used by Russia previously, specifically in 2014 — the same year it illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.

"On 9 May, Russia may be preparing provocations. Since 2014, the occupiers have been using this kind of provocation, and it is possible that we will encounter it now," Yusov warned, as reported by the Defense Intelligence's press service, per translations from Ukrainska Pravda. "In this situation, provocations may be directed by the Russian special services against the Russian civilian population and timed to specific dates, for example, 9 May."

In addition to conducting provocations against its own citizens, Yusov said Russia might also direct provocations such as false flag operations against Belarus, with the aim of drawing Minsk to have its army join Moscow in the war against Ukraine.

"No one in Ukraine or the rest of the world will believe in such performances anymore. However, this does not mean that there will be no provocations," he added.

Yusov's statements come as Russia appears to be reducing its annual Victory celebrations this year in an effort to cover up its mounting losses in the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin is also said to be using a recent drone attack that it blamed on Ukraine and the United States as an excuse to cancel Victory Day parades, per the Washington DC-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Victory Day parades in Russia typically involve a display of military strengths and parades in Moscow's Red Square and across the country. So far, the large-scale parade in Moscow has been closed off to the public. Officials in several Russian cities have also canceled parades in their areas, as reported by BBC News.

As of Sunday, Russia lost a total of 194,430 personnel in combat, including 660 killed over the past day, estimates from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine showed.