Ruptly
"Hundreds of Slovaks gathered on Saturday at the Slavin monument in Bratislava, as people gathered to lay flowers in tribute to those who died in the Second World War. Footage shows attendees laying flowers at the graves of fallen soldiers. Participants also joined the Immortal Regiment march, carrying portraits of relatives who died during the war. Russian Ambassador to Slovakia, Sergey Andreev, attended the ceremony. "We are here to show our respect, and we are grateful to the soldiers of the Soviet Army, especially Russian soldiers. They gave us freedom. We remember and commemorate them," one attendee said. Russian ambassador Andreev praised Slovakia for respecting and protecting Soviet war memorials, saying this reflects 'deep, friendly feelings' between the two nations. "Our Slovak friends got together to celebrate this anniversary, laying a wreath at the central monument of the cemetery and participating in the action Immortal Regiment, joining in this way to our compatriots celebrating this great day back at home," he added. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico travelled to Moscow to take part in Victory Day celebrations on Red Square. Fico's route to Moscow was fraught with challenges after Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland refused overflight clearance for his aircraft. The Czech Republic granted permission, allowing the Slovak delegation to travel via a longer route to Russia. During his meeting with the Russian President Vladimir Putin, Fico also noted the Slovaks' respect for monuments to the Red Army, including a memorial in Michalovce, and his readiness to commit to the Moscow-Bratislava joint work. This year marks the 81st anniversary of Victory Day, commemorating Nazi Germany’s surrender to Allied forces in 1945. Victory Day is observed in Russia and several other former Soviet states on May 9. Victory in Europe Day is marked in many Western countries on May 8, reflecting the time difference when Germany’s surrender came into effect."
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