Will Russia cancel July’s Moscow air show amid sanctions?

Russia is likely to cancel this year’s Moscow air show, which has long served as a significant location for showcasing cutting-edge military aircraft and conducting aerospace contract negotiations, according to a top official of the organization.

According to the state news agency Tass, Viktor Kladov, director for international cooperation at the state-owned Rostec defense group, the event “in all probability” won’t take place this year. It was slated to happen at the end of July.

Kladov did not give a reason for postponing the event, although Russian news outlets had suggested it was because of Western sanctions against Russia related to the conflict in Ukraine, which would have reduced international attendance and impacted manufacturers’ access to parts.

In those reports, unnamed individuals also claimed that there are security concerns following the May drone attacks on the Kremlin and its surroundings.

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Russia’s annual investment showcase, saw far fewer foreign attendees than it had before Russia sent soldiers into Ukraine in February 2022.

The International Aviation and Space Salon (MAKS) was supposed to be held in Zhukovsky near Moscow from July 25 to 30. The event was postponed for security reasons, sources said. MAKS is an international aerospace exhibition that has been held every two years since 1993. The show was staged even during the coronavirus pandemic, when other international air shows had been canceled.