Camilla Jessen
As foreign leaders arrive for Russia’s Victory Day parade, the Atesh movement claims to have disrupted military communications.
The Ukrainian-affiliated Atesh partisan group has claimed responsibility for sabotaging military communications infrastructure in Russia’s Moscow Oblast on the eve of the country’s Victory Day celebrations.
In a statement posted to Telegram, the group said it carried out a sabotage operation in the village of Mogiltsy, approximately 45 kilometers northeast of Moscow, by destroying equipment at a local transformer substation.
According to Atesh, the targeted substation supported both electrical and telecommunications services for several Russian military facilities in the area.
The attack allegedly disrupted communications at multiple military units, including the 629th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Unit 51857), the 21st Separate Operational Purpose Brigade (Unit 3641), and military units 20007, 03523, and 51084.
The claims have not been independently verified, and the Kyiv Independent noted it was unable to confirm the extent or impact of the reported sabotage.
The disruption comes as Moscow prepares for its annual Victory Day parade on May 9, a major national event commemorating the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
This year’s celebration is taking place under heightened scrutiny as Russia faces growing international isolation over its ongoing war in Ukraine.
Despite the tensions, several foreign leaders are expected to attend the event, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, who arrived in Moscow on May 7 for a multi-day visit. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, known for his pro-Kremlin stance, is also among the attendees.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned last week that Ukraine cannot guarantee the safety of foreign dignitaries traveling to Moscow for the parade.
“They are responsible for your safety,” Zelensky said, referring to the Russian government. “We will not provide any guarantees, because we do not know what Russia might do on those dates.”
The Atesh group has previously claimed responsibility for multiple sabotage operations targeting Russian military and logistics infrastructure, both within Russia and in Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine.