New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday cancelled his planned visit to Moscow for Russia’s Victory Day celebrations on May 9, signalling a possible focus on domestic and security priorities following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam. The PM chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to review the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Modi would not attend the Victory Day events, even as leaders like Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to be present to mark the 80th anniversary of the Allied victory in World War Two.

The CCS meeting took place at the PM’s official residence on Lok Kalyan Marg, a day after Modi met with the country’s top military leadership and authorised full operational freedom to the armed forces in deciding the mode, timing, and targets of India’s response to the April 22 attack that killed 26 people. Wednesday’s high-level meeting was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, according to people familiar with the matter.

Though no official statement followed the deliberations, this was the second CCS meeting since the Pahalgam attack. The earlier session on April 23 reportedly led to several punitive measures against Pakistan, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, shutting the Attari border crossing, and downgrading diplomatic ties.

Pakistan, in turn, closed its airspace to Indian aircraft and halted all trade — including via third countries — while rejecting India's suspension of the water treaty as illegitimate. Islamabad also warned that blocking river flow would be considered an “act of war”.

In Tuesday’s defence review, Modi emphasised the national resolve to crush terrorism and expressed complete faith in the capabilities of the Indian armed forces. That meeting was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, NSA Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, and the service chiefs.

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