Kazakhstan calls off military parade on Victory Day marking Nazi defeat

Kazakhstan has not held a May 9 Victory Day parade since 2019 due to the coronavirus pandemic. And now it looks like the trend is set to continue as Kazakhstan will not be holding a traditional Victory Day parade marking the anniversary of the Nazi defeat in World War II in May.

The statement was released by the Defense Ministry of Kazakhstan and it did not provide any further explanation for the release of the statement.

Victory Day is celebrated as it was one of the most important national holidays in the Soviet Union, marking the surrender of Nazi Germany in 1945. However, it is believed that under Russian President Vladimir Putin, the celebration in Moscow has become more grandiose, with officials using it as a way to showcase the latest military hardware and extoll the sacrifices of the millions who died in the war. 

Moreover, as per Radio Europe, many former Soviet republics like Kazakhstan have traditionally also held Victory Day celebrations, though they have tended to be more low-key. But for now, all the celebrations of Victory day have been put on halt. It was believed that about 125,000 Soviet troops of Kazakh origin are believed to have died in the war, with an unknown number of others missing in action.

According to the Defense Ministry of Kazakhstan, about 50 public events to honor World War II veterans and the country's armed forces will be held across the country instead. The ministry further stated that it was also suspending parades for another military holiday, the Day of Defenders of the Fatherland, which occurs on May 7. Kazakh attitudes toward the armed forces have turned negative since January when military troops were involved in breaking up anti-government protests, resulting in at least 230 people being killed as per Radio Europe.

Kazakhstan withdraws from hosting Para Archery Championships, event moved to Delhi

Previously, Kazakhstan withdrew as the host of the upcoming Asian Archery Para Championships due to the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The country, which shares a border with Russia, stated that it would be unable to host the event due to regional unrest.

India has been chosen as the host nation for the championships, which will take place from May 31 to June 6. The competition will take place at the Yamuna Sports Complex in New Delhi. According to Pramod Chadurkar, secretary-general of the Archery Association of India (AAI), India submitted proposals to organise the tournament when Kazakhstan indicated it would be unable to do so owing to regional instability.

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