Estonians are buying up tours for Victory Day celebrations in Russia
Narva News
Tourism companies in Estonia have started offering special trips for May 9. These tours are designed to allow visitors to observe Victory Day celebrations in the neighboring city of Ivangorod, Narva News reports, citing SHOT data.
€80 tour: a view of the celebration across the river
Tour prices start at around €80. The itinerary includes staying in Narva on May 9 and observing events taking place across the border in Ivangorod, Leningrad Region.
The program also includes a city walk, visits to memorial sites, and viewing a live broadcast of the празднич concert. Interest in such trips is reportedly high among residents of eastern Estonia, with inquiries also coming from Latvia.
Tour organizers emphasize that the program will be combined with events dedicated to Europe Day, which is also marked in Estonia on May 9. In this way, travel companies aim to take into account the domestic political and symbolic context of the date while also offering a format linked to interest in events on the Russian side of the border.
How Ivangorod and Moscow are preparing for Victory Day
Preparations for the celebrations are already underway in Ivangorod. Structures for large screens are being installed, where a broadcast of the concert from Red Square is planned.
The broadcast is intended for audiences on both sides of the border, including residents of Narva who traditionally gather on the river embankment to observe the events. This “two-banks” format has existed for several years and has become a stable element of the symbolic border geography of the holiday.
In Moscow, the parade marking the 81st anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War will traditionally take place on Red Square. The final rehearsal is scheduled for May 7. This year, columns of military equipment and cadets from military schools are not included in the parade. The Russian Ministry of Defence explained the decision by citing the current operational situation. Infantry units from military universities and various branches of the armed forces will take part on foot.
Drone attacks in Russia
The geopolitical situation remains tense. On the night of May 3, residents of Narva and nearby areas in Ida-Viru County reported alarming sounds in the sky resembling drone activity. The noise was reported near the Narva Reservoir, the Orehek hill area, and other parts of the city. The reports coincided with a large-scale drone attack on the Leningrad Region. The regional governor said that 43 UAVs were intercepted.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defence, more than 300 drones were destroyed across several regions on the night of May 3, including the Moscow region. Attacks continued throughout the day. On the morning of May 4, around 50 flights were delayed or cancelled at Vnukovo Airport due to airspace restrictions linked to an air alert. One drone reportedly struck a residential high-rise building in the Mосфильмовская Street area.
In February, air defence units destroyed 5,989 drones, in March 11,211, and in April 9,372. Most targets were detected over the European part of the country.
Ceasefire for Victory Day: statements from Russia and Ukraine
Russia has declared a unilateral ceasefire from May 8 to May 9, 2026, in connection with Victory Day celebrations. The Russian Ministry of Defence stated that the regime was introduced by order of President Vladimir Putin and will apply during official events. Moscow expects reciprocal steps from Kyiv. In the event of attempts to disrupt the celebrations, the Russian side warns of a possible “massive missile strike on the center of Kyiv” and urges civilians and diplomatic staff in the Ukrainian capital to leave the city.
In response, Ukraine announced its own ceasefire regime starting at 00:00 on the night of May 5–6. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that no officially coordinated proposal from Moscow had been received, but Ukraine is ready to act in a reciprocal manner if both sides observe the truce. He also noted that previous attempts at broader negotiations had failed, and that U.S. involvement in the process was interrupted following the outbreak of war in the Middle East.