Vladimir Putin has called off this year's Tank Biathlon due to a scarcity of tanks as Russia continues its war with Ukraine. This marks the first time the annual military games, which began in 2013, have been canceled.
In a statement issued this week, the Kremlin announced, "It was decided to hold the Army International Games every two years. Accordingly, this year the competitions were canceled." The next games are scheduled for 2024.
The Tank Biathlon typically serves as a stage for Moscow to display its military prowess. Last year, the event featured participants from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Iran, China, and Uzbekistan.
The unexpected cancellation of this year's games comes amid reports that Putin is planning a large-scale offensive against Ukraine in the coming weeks. This is seen as a final attempt to seize control of the neighboring nation, which his forces first invaded nearly 14 months ago.
The cancellation of the Tank Biathlon follows the recent announcement that this year's Victory Day parade, held annually on May 9, has also been called off. While the Kremlin cited security concerns and unfavorable weather predictions for the parade's cancellation, Russian sources claimed that it was due to a lack of functioning tanks available for the event in Moscow.
One Russian insider posted on social media shortly after the parade was canceled, "The Russian May 9 parades have been canceled. The Russian authorities claim it is due to 'security concerns,' but I believe it is because they simply have not enough functioning tanks to run up and down the road."
The insider added, "Every Russian tank is needed at the front, and all remaining parade vehicles are needed for the larger cities. Last year, the flight show at the May 9 parade in Moscow was canceled, too." The authorities had blamed "bad weather" for the previous year's cancellation.
Since invading Ukraine in February 2022, Putin is believed to have lost nearly 2,000 tanks, with over 500 reportedly being seized by opposing forces.