Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, stands between two WWII veterans as he takes part in a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier in Moscow, Russia, Monday, June 22, 2020, marking the 79th anniversary of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, greets WWII veterans during a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier in Moscow, Russia, Monday, June 22, 2020, marking the 79th anniversary of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, greets WWII veterans during a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier in Moscow, Russia, Monday, June 22, 2020, marking the 79th anniversary of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, takes part in a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier in Moscow, Russia, Monday, June 22, 2020, marking the 79th anniversary of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill, center, delivers his speech as Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stand near after a religion service marking the 79th anniversary of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, at the Cathedral in the Patriot Park outside Moscow, Russia, Monday, June 22, 2020. The country's new Cathedral of Russian Armed Forces was built and dedicated to the Soviet victory in World War II. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)Russian President Vladimir Putin stands during a minute of silence in memory of those killed during WWII as he takes part in a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier in Moscow, Russia, Monday, June 22, 2020, marking the 79th anniversary of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill, center, delivers his speech as Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stand near after a religion service marking the 79th anniversary of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, at the Cathedral in the Patriot Park outside Moscow, Russia, Monday, June 22, 2020. The country's new Cathedral of Russian Armed Forces was built and dedicated to the Soviet victory in World War II. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, greets a WWII veteran as he arrives to take part in a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier in Moscow, Russia, Monday, June 22, 2020, marking the 79th anniversary of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
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Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, stands between two WWII veterans as he takes part in a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier in Moscow, Russia, Monday, June 22, 2020, marking the 79th anniversary of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday marked the date of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union by meeting with veterans and visiting a new military church.
Putin laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Kremlin wall and greeted World War II veterans.
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He also visited the newly built main cathedral of the Russian military on Moscow's western outskirts.
Nazi Germany invaded the USSR on June 22, 1941, starting nearly four years of fighting that killed 27 million Soviet people and left the western part of the country in ruins.
“It was a terrible and massive tragedy that claimed millions of lives, leaving behind devastation and irreparable pain of loss, deep never-healing wounds,” Putin said, addressing soldiers outside the cathedral.
Victory Day, marking the Nazi defeat in World War II, is Russia's most important secular holiday, celebrated on May 9. This year, the Red Square military parade marking it was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic and will be held Wednesday.
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