Russia postpones drone operators’ summit amid fears of Ukrainian attack

Russia has indefinitely postponed Dronnitsa-2026, an annual gathering of military drone operators scheduled for 29–30 August, amid what organisers described as credible information about a planned Ukrainian strike on the event.

The anticipated attack, they claimed, could have combined several methods, including “new ballistic capabilities” as well as what they called “the same old bio-drone terrorists”. Protecting the participants, they said, would have required deploying substantial air defence and security forces, thinning out protection at factories and military sites elsewhere in the Novgorod region and neighbouring regions. Rather than take that risk, organisers said, they decided to call off the event at its planned time and place.

The independent outlet Agentstvo noted that the venue for Dronnitsa-2026 would have been just 120 kilometres from Vladimir Putin’s Valdai residence in the Novgorod region. In an investigation published last year, the outlet Proekt reported that Putin’s rumoured romantic partner Alina Kabaeva and their sons spend a significant amount of time there.

Dronnitsa has been held annually since 2022. Organisers describe it as Russia's largest gathering of its kind, drawing drone pilots, developers, manufacturers, and specialists in electronic reconnaissance and counter-drone warfare.