Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🎙 Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s answer to a media question about foreign aid to Ukraine
❓ Question: In July, the Review of Ukraine Foreign Assistance Coordination and Oversight by the Inspector General of the US Department of State was published online. It reads that over the longer run “corruption in the Ukrainian government and private sector poses risks to the effectiveness of US foreign assistance that requires robust oversight.” <…> the EU prefers to avoid this issue. Why is Brussels so shortsighted?
💬 Maria Zakharova: The more money is pumped into Ukraine, the more displeased its Western sponsors will be at Kiev’s inability to at least limit the stealing of funds. <…>
If the US begins to talk about the seriousness of the issue, the EU has been apparently been told to remain silent for the time being. <...> European taxpayers have the same right to know as the Americans how their money is spent. After all, according to the European Commission, as of July, the amount of funds promised to Ukraine by the EU, its member countries, the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has already reached about 76 billion euros. <…>
Brussels refrained from its traditional threats to cut off funding if nothing is done to eradicate corruption although corruption in Ukraine is already astronomical.
The European Commission has recently proposed a special 50 billion euro fund for Ukraine for 2024-2027. To control its spending, it suggested establishing a multi-level auditing system that will include the creation of dedicated oversight bodies and regular planned and unplanned EU inspections. It would be interesting to see how successful Brussels will be in this venture.
Read in full
❓ Question: In July, the Review of Ukraine Foreign Assistance Coordination and Oversight by the Inspector General of the US Department of State was published online. It reads that over the longer run “corruption in the Ukrainian government and private sector poses risks to the effectiveness of US foreign assistance that requires robust oversight.” <…> the EU prefers to avoid this issue. Why is Brussels so shortsighted?
💬 Maria Zakharova: The more money is pumped into Ukraine, the more displeased its Western sponsors will be at Kiev’s inability to at least limit the stealing of funds. <…>
If the US begins to talk about the seriousness of the issue, the EU has been apparently been told to remain silent for the time being. <...> European taxpayers have the same right to know as the Americans how their money is spent. After all, according to the European Commission, as of July, the amount of funds promised to Ukraine by the EU, its member countries, the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has already reached about 76 billion euros. <…>
Brussels refrained from its traditional threats to cut off funding if nothing is done to eradicate corruption although corruption in Ukraine is already astronomical.
The European Commission has recently proposed a special 50 billion euro fund for Ukraine for 2024-2027. To control its spending, it suggested establishing a multi-level auditing system that will include the creation of dedicated oversight bodies and regular planned and unplanned EU inspections. It would be interesting to see how successful Brussels will be in this venture.
Read in full
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
⚡️ Joint Statement Issued following the Engagement between the President of the Russian Federation and the Leaders of the African Peace Initiative
🗓 On 28 July 2023, in Saint-Petersburg, the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and the Leaders of the seven countries leading the African Peace Initiative continued their discussion on the African Peace Initiative, which they started on June 17, 2023.
African Leaders attending the meeting on 28 July 2023 were President Azali Assoumani of the Union of the Comoros in his capacity as Chair of the African Union; President Cyril Ramaphosa of the Republic of South Africa; President Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of the Congo; President Abdel Fattah-el Sisi of the Arab Republic of Egypt; President Масkу Sall of the Republic of Senegal; President Yoweri Museveni of the Republic of Uganda and the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Zambia, Stanley Kakubo.
The Leaders recognised progress achieved since then on proposals they discussed at the first meeting on 17 June 2023 on humanitarian issues, in particular, related to the rights of children in areas of armed activities and prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine, and agreed that humanitarian efforts would continue to bring further results.
The Leaders called for specific steps to remove obstacles to Russian grain and fertilizer exports, thus allowing the resumption of the full implementation of the Black Sea package initiative of the United Nations Secretary-General as endorsed on 22 July 2022 in Istanbul.
The Leaders also called upon the United Nations to take necessary action in order to release 200 thousand tons of Russian fertilizer blocked in European Union seaports for immediate and free delivery to African countries.
The Leaders agreed to continue their dialogue on the African Peace Initiative so that a door to peace can be opened.
🗓 On 28 July 2023, in Saint-Petersburg, the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and the Leaders of the seven countries leading the African Peace Initiative continued their discussion on the African Peace Initiative, which they started on June 17, 2023.
African Leaders attending the meeting on 28 July 2023 were President Azali Assoumani of the Union of the Comoros in his capacity as Chair of the African Union; President Cyril Ramaphosa of the Republic of South Africa; President Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of the Congo; President Abdel Fattah-el Sisi of the Arab Republic of Egypt; President Масkу Sall of the Republic of Senegal; President Yoweri Museveni of the Republic of Uganda and the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Zambia, Stanley Kakubo.
The Leaders recognised progress achieved since then on proposals they discussed at the first meeting on 17 June 2023 on humanitarian issues, in particular, related to the rights of children in areas of armed activities and prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine, and agreed that humanitarian efforts would continue to bring further results.
The Leaders called for specific steps to remove obstacles to Russian grain and fertilizer exports, thus allowing the resumption of the full implementation of the Black Sea package initiative of the United Nations Secretary-General as endorsed on 22 July 2022 in Istanbul.
The Leaders also called upon the United Nations to take necessary action in order to release 200 thousand tons of Russian fertilizer blocked in European Union seaports for immediate and free delivery to African countries.
The Leaders agreed to continue their dialogue on the African Peace Initiative so that a door to peace can be opened.
👍7❤2😢1
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🗓 The heroic defence of Odessa from the Nazi invaders began #OnThisDay in 1941.
Odessa became a frontline city almost immediately after the start of the Great Patriotic War. On August 5, 1941, when the enemy approached Odessa, the Southern Front received an order from the Supreme High Command General Headquarters to retain control of the city at any cost.
The Separate Coastal Army under the command of General Georgy Sofronov was charged with the defence, with the Black Sea Fleet rendering assistance to the city’s defenders.
❗️ Up to 100,000 residents took part in building the city’s defences. Thanks to their efforts, three lines of defence with a total length of 250 km were built in Odessa; 250 barricades were erected in the city’s streets.
Thanks to the efficient organisation of defence, the enemy’s attacks were successfully repelled despite the Nazis’ almost tenfold numerical superiority.
The heroic defence lasted for 73 days and paralysed up to 18 enemy divisions. During the battles, according to various estimates, more than 160,000 enemy soldiers and officers, approximately 200 aircraft and 100 tanks were put out of action, which hampered the advance of the right wing of Army Group South to the East.
After the enemy invaded Odessa, around 40,000 residents left for the catacombs and continued to offer resistance right until the liberation of the city by the 3rd Ukrainian Front forces on April 10, 1944.
🎖 On December 22, 1942, the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Soviet Union established the medal For the Defence of Odessa, which was awarded to more than 30,000 people.
Odessa became a frontline city almost immediately after the start of the Great Patriotic War. On August 5, 1941, when the enemy approached Odessa, the Southern Front received an order from the Supreme High Command General Headquarters to retain control of the city at any cost.
The Separate Coastal Army under the command of General Georgy Sofronov was charged with the defence, with the Black Sea Fleet rendering assistance to the city’s defenders.
❗️ Up to 100,000 residents took part in building the city’s defences. Thanks to their efforts, three lines of defence with a total length of 250 km were built in Odessa; 250 barricades were erected in the city’s streets.
Thanks to the efficient organisation of defence, the enemy’s attacks were successfully repelled despite the Nazis’ almost tenfold numerical superiority.
The heroic defence lasted for 73 days and paralysed up to 18 enemy divisions. During the battles, according to various estimates, more than 160,000 enemy soldiers and officers, approximately 200 aircraft and 100 tanks were put out of action, which hampered the advance of the right wing of Army Group South to the East.
After the enemy invaded Odessa, around 40,000 residents left for the catacombs and continued to offer resistance right until the liberation of the city by the 3rd Ukrainian Front forces on April 10, 1944.
🎖 On December 22, 1942, the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Soviet Union established the medal For the Defence of Odessa, which was awarded to more than 30,000 people.
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🕯 #OnThisDay in 1945, the United States dropped a nuclear bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, instantly killing almost 80,000 people. About as many people would die in agony later from radiation poisoning. This was the first time in human history that a nuclear device was used in warfare. In fact, it was a merciless test on the civilian population.
The United States has been carrying out research on military applications for nuclear weapons since 1939, seeking to create a formidable weapon that would enable Washington to impose its will on the entire world. Codenamed Manhattan, the project received almost $2 billion in funding.
Three nuclear bombs were developed by mid-summer 1945, cynically codenamed the Gadget, Little Boy and Fat Man. The Gadget was to be used in a test explosion, while the other two were intended to intimidate Japan and also impress the USSR as it reinforced its positions.
Almost all clocks in Hiroshima stopped ticking at 8:15 am. The city was completely wiped from the surface of the Earth with the blast from the explosion turning people into ashes.
Attempts by Western historians to justify this monstrous crime by saying that the United States wanted to force Japan to withdraw from World War II do not hold water. Japan’s military resources were largely depleted by early August 1945, and it was the USSR’s entry into war in the Far East that played a decisive role here.
Therefore, the atomic bombing of Hiroshima was nothing other than a barbarous display of force and an attempt to justify all the money that had been invested in the Manhattan Project. It never occurred to President Harry Truman or any of his successors in this office to apologise for the suffering the people of Hiroshima had to endure.
💬 Sergey Lavrov on the atomic bombing of Hiroshima (August 6, 2020): To this day, the terrible death of innocent civilians strikes a chord with millions of people on our planet. It is hard to fully understand what the masterminds and perpetrators of such an inhumane act were guided by.
The United States has been carrying out research on military applications for nuclear weapons since 1939, seeking to create a formidable weapon that would enable Washington to impose its will on the entire world. Codenamed Manhattan, the project received almost $2 billion in funding.
Three nuclear bombs were developed by mid-summer 1945, cynically codenamed the Gadget, Little Boy and Fat Man. The Gadget was to be used in a test explosion, while the other two were intended to intimidate Japan and also impress the USSR as it reinforced its positions.
Almost all clocks in Hiroshima stopped ticking at 8:15 am. The city was completely wiped from the surface of the Earth with the blast from the explosion turning people into ashes.
Attempts by Western historians to justify this monstrous crime by saying that the United States wanted to force Japan to withdraw from World War II do not hold water. Japan’s military resources were largely depleted by early August 1945, and it was the USSR’s entry into war in the Far East that played a decisive role here.
Therefore, the atomic bombing of Hiroshima was nothing other than a barbarous display of force and an attempt to justify all the money that had been invested in the Manhattan Project. It never occurred to President Harry Truman or any of his successors in this office to apologise for the suffering the people of Hiroshima had to endure.
💬 Sergey Lavrov on the atomic bombing of Hiroshima (August 6, 2020): To this day, the terrible death of innocent civilians strikes a chord with millions of people on our planet. It is hard to fully understand what the masterminds and perpetrators of such an inhumane act were guided by.
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Good morning, India! 🌞 शुभ प्रभात, भारत!
📸 Can you guess location on the photo?
The correct answer will be posted in comment section later today!
🔸 @RusEmbIndia
📸 Can you guess location on the photo?
The correct answer will be posted in comment section later today!
Please open Telegram to view this post
VIEW IN TELEGRAM
❤6
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
📄 Russian MFA Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's article for Rossiyskaya Gazeta (August 7, 2023)
The world leader of black transplants: In Ukraine, organs are traded online and offline
💬 Ukraine has long been known as a world leader in organ trafficking. Scandals involving the illegal removal of organs from corpses began to appear in the late 1990s. The problem began to mount in the early 2000s.
Organ trafficking increased in scale after the start of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine, following the Kiev regime’s passage of laws that drastically simplified the work of transplant specialists in the country.
It has been reported in the media that organs of killed soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were available for sale in one of the biggest shops of the darknet. A heart, liver, kidneys & other body parts with price tags starting at 5,000 euros are on offer. There is information to the effect that people involved in the Kosovo Liberation Army may own or at least deal with this shop.
In June of 2023, a man was detained at the Ukraine-Slovakia border. An employee of a charity organisation, it was discovered that he was involved in trafficking Ukrainian children abroad, in part, for transplants. A court released him on bail set at a suspiciously low 1 million hryvnias despite the grievous nature of his crime, & he disappeared. That said, an astronomical sum of 33 million hryvnias was assigned as collateral to Metropolitan Pavel, the father superior of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.
👉 This is conclusive evidence that the Ukrainian state is covering up and encouraging this bloody business. There is information pointing to the involvement of Zelensky’s entourage.
In Ukraine, organs are traded not only on the darknet but also offline. There is information indicating that in June 2023, representatives of the health ministry of a NATO country agreed with the Ukrainians on the delivery of a refrigerated train car with human organs & body parts that are most often used for transplants.
Read in full
The world leader of black transplants: In Ukraine, organs are traded online and offline
💬 Ukraine has long been known as a world leader in organ trafficking. Scandals involving the illegal removal of organs from corpses began to appear in the late 1990s. The problem began to mount in the early 2000s.
Organ trafficking increased in scale after the start of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine, following the Kiev regime’s passage of laws that drastically simplified the work of transplant specialists in the country.
It has been reported in the media that organs of killed soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were available for sale in one of the biggest shops of the darknet. A heart, liver, kidneys & other body parts with price tags starting at 5,000 euros are on offer. There is information to the effect that people involved in the Kosovo Liberation Army may own or at least deal with this shop.
In June of 2023, a man was detained at the Ukraine-Slovakia border. An employee of a charity organisation, it was discovered that he was involved in trafficking Ukrainian children abroad, in part, for transplants. A court released him on bail set at a suspiciously low 1 million hryvnias despite the grievous nature of his crime, & he disappeared. That said, an astronomical sum of 33 million hryvnias was assigned as collateral to Metropolitan Pavel, the father superior of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.
👉 This is conclusive evidence that the Ukrainian state is covering up and encouraging this bloody business. There is information pointing to the involvement of Zelensky’s entourage.
In Ukraine, organs are traded not only on the darknet but also offline. There is information indicating that in June 2023, representatives of the health ministry of a NATO country agreed with the Ukrainians on the delivery of a refrigerated train car with human organs & body parts that are most often used for transplants.
Read in full
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
✈️ #OnThisDay in 1941, Viktor Talalikhin became one of the first pilots in the history of Great Patriotic War to perform an aerial ramming at night. In the early hours of August 7, he flew his Polikarpov I-16 aircraft straight into the tail of a Nazi Heinkel He-111 bomber that was escaping pursuit.
This happened in the first weeks of the war, when the young Soviet fighter pilot was defending the sky over the south-west of Moscow. The German aircraft was shot down, and the wounded Talalikhin miraculously managed to parachute out of the aircraft and remained unharmed. On August 8 he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
At the time of his feat, Talalikhin was only 22 years old. Unfortunately, he did not live to see the end of the war: in the autumn of 1941 he fell in an unequal battle with the Nazis in the vicinity of Podolsk.
During the heavy fighting in the summer of 1941 Talalikhin's selfless feat inspired millions. In total, Soviet pilots rammed more than 600 enemy aircraft during the Great Patriotic War.
#FacesOfVictory
This happened in the first weeks of the war, when the young Soviet fighter pilot was defending the sky over the south-west of Moscow. The German aircraft was shot down, and the wounded Talalikhin miraculously managed to parachute out of the aircraft and remained unharmed. On August 8 he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
At the time of his feat, Talalikhin was only 22 years old. Unfortunately, he did not live to see the end of the war: in the autumn of 1941 he fell in an unequal battle with the Nazis in the vicinity of Podolsk.
During the heavy fighting in the summer of 1941 Talalikhin's selfless feat inspired millions. In total, Soviet pilots rammed more than 600 enemy aircraft during the Great Patriotic War.
#FacesOfVictory
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Good morning, India! 🌞 शुभ प्रभात, भारत!
📸 Can you guess location on the photo?
The correct answer will be posted in comment section later today!
🔸 @RusEmbIndia
📸 Can you guess location on the photo?
The correct answer will be posted in comment section later today!
Please open Telegram to view this post
VIEW IN TELEGRAM
❤10
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🕯 August 8 marks the 15th anniversary of the Saakashvili regime's military aggression against the people of South Ossetia and Russian peacekeepers from the Joint Peacekeeping Forces in the zone of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict.
In the early hours of August 8, 2008, on the orders of the then President of Georgia, the Georgian armed forces launched the so-called "operation to impose constitutional order on the territory of South Ossetia," which resulted in numerous casualties, including among Russian citizens.
❗️ Georgia’s actions were a flagrant violation of international agreements on the peaceful settlement of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict. The fact that those actions were deliberate was documented in the report of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Conflict in the Caucasus established under the auspices of the European Union.
Russia’s involvement prevented the conflict from escalating further. The criminal military escapade undertaken by the Saakashvili regime met with an adequate response: in those extreme circumstances, Russia first conducted a successful operation to force the aggressor to peace, and then recognised South Ossetia, as well as Abkhazia, which was destined to the same fate as the neighbouring republic, as sovereign independent states, taking them under its protection.
#NoStatuteOfLimitations
In the early hours of August 8, 2008, on the orders of the then President of Georgia, the Georgian armed forces launched the so-called "operation to impose constitutional order on the territory of South Ossetia," which resulted in numerous casualties, including among Russian citizens.
❗️ Georgia’s actions were a flagrant violation of international agreements on the peaceful settlement of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict. The fact that those actions were deliberate was documented in the report of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Conflict in the Caucasus established under the auspices of the European Union.
Russia’s involvement prevented the conflict from escalating further. The criminal military escapade undertaken by the Saakashvili regime met with an adequate response: in those extreme circumstances, Russia first conducted a successful operation to force the aggressor to peace, and then recognised South Ossetia, as well as Abkhazia, which was destined to the same fate as the neighbouring republic, as sovereign independent states, taking them under its protection.
#NoStatuteOfLimitations
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Forwarded from Sputnik News India
📸 More photographs from Winners in Stenin Contest 2023
Sleeping Queens by Fabrice Mbonankira (Burundi) won the second place.
The third and fourth places were taken by Russia’s Pelagia Tikhonova and her Remembering 1945 and Yevgeny Filippov for Individual Race.
Another Indian photographer, Sayan Adhikary from Kolkata, won the fifth place with The Dying Tradition through Circle.
Subscribe to @sputniknewsindia
Sleeping Queens by Fabrice Mbonankira (Burundi) won the second place.
The third and fourth places were taken by Russia’s Pelagia Tikhonova and her Remembering 1945 and Yevgeny Filippov for Individual Race.
Another Indian photographer, Sayan Adhikary from Kolkata, won the fifth place with The Dying Tradition through Circle.
Subscribe to @sputniknewsindia
👍1
Forwarded from Sputnik News India
📸 Stenin Contest 2023: Indian Photojournalist Work Wins Online Vote
🇮🇳 The spotlight is on Kabir Jhangiani, an exceptional talent hailing from India, as his breathtaking photograph "Seagulls around Yamuna River" takes first place in this year's Andrei Stenin Press Photo Contest.
🗯 Describing his work, Jhangiani eloquently shares: “A man rows his boat along the banks of the Yamuna River in New Delhi. Migratory birds come to India for the winter. They get to different parts of the country by October and usually leave in March.”
🕊 Jhangiani's lens beautifully captures the harmony of man and nature during this enchanting migration period.
Subscribe to @sputniknewsindia
🇮🇳 The spotlight is on Kabir Jhangiani, an exceptional talent hailing from India, as his breathtaking photograph "Seagulls around Yamuna River" takes first place in this year's Andrei Stenin Press Photo Contest.
🗯 Describing his work, Jhangiani eloquently shares: “A man rows his boat along the banks of the Yamuna River in New Delhi. Migratory birds come to India for the winter. They get to different parts of the country by October and usually leave in March.”
🕊 Jhangiani's lens beautifully captures the harmony of man and nature during this enchanting migration period.
Subscribe to @sputniknewsindia
👍1
Forwarded from RT Documentary | Hindi
Media is too big
VIEW IN TELEGRAM
🪷मॉस्को मेट्रो में भारत की छवि!
मॉस्को मेट्रो ने आगामी BRICS शिखर सम्मेलन की तैयारी के लिए एक नई थीम वाली ट्रेन लॉन्च की है।
ये मेट्रो, BRICS देशों के फैशन को प्रदर्शित करती है और हर कोच एक देश को समर्पित है। चीन के लिए लाल कोच, रूस के लिए नीला, ब्राज़ील के लिए बैंगनी, दक्षिण अफ्रीका के लिए हरा और मंडल पैटर्न के साथ, हल्का नीला कोच- भारत के लिए।
ऐसी सजावटी ट्रेनें, मॉस्को मेट्रो की खासियत हैं। हर मौसम में एक नई सजी हुई मेट्रो का नज़ारा देखने को मिलता है!
दुनिया की सबसे बड़ी मेट्रो प्रणालियों में से एक और इसके रहस्यों के बारे में और जानें हमारी डॉक्यूमेंट्री से!
@RTDocumentary_India को फॉलो करें
मॉस्को मेट्रो ने आगामी BRICS शिखर सम्मेलन की तैयारी के लिए एक नई थीम वाली ट्रेन लॉन्च की है।
ये मेट्रो, BRICS देशों के फैशन को प्रदर्शित करती है और हर कोच एक देश को समर्पित है। चीन के लिए लाल कोच, रूस के लिए नीला, ब्राज़ील के लिए बैंगनी, दक्षिण अफ्रीका के लिए हरा और मंडल पैटर्न के साथ, हल्का नीला कोच- भारत के लिए।
ऐसी सजावटी ट्रेनें, मॉस्को मेट्रो की खासियत हैं। हर मौसम में एक नई सजी हुई मेट्रो का नज़ारा देखने को मिलता है!
दुनिया की सबसे बड़ी मेट्रो प्रणालियों में से एक और इसके रहस्यों के बारे में और जानें हमारी डॉक्यूमेंट्री से!
@RTDocumentary_India को फॉलो करें
❤4👍1🥰1
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🗓 #OnThisDay in 1944, the Battle of Leningrad, the longest military engagement in the history of the Great Patriotic War, ended with a Red Army victory.
The fighting, which lasted from July 1941 to August 1944, took place on the territory of the Leningrad Region, the Estonian SSR, in the western Kalinin Region, and the southern part of the Karelo-Finnish SSR.
Destroying Leningrad was a primary goal under the Operation Barbarossa plan, given the city’s industrial and cultural significance. Hitler planned to use Leningrad as a springboard to strike at the rear of the Soviet troops defending Moscow.
The battle included several stages: defence of the distant and near approaches, 872 days of a siege, the breakthrough and the Soviet offensive in the northwestern direction. Instead of taking the city in three weeks, as Hitler expected, the Nazi troops spent about three years at the gates.
While the Red Army fought fierce battles, the local people selflessly laboured and steadfastly endured the horrors of the siege. The ring finally closed around Leningrad on September 8, 1941. More than 2.8 million people, including 400,000 children, found themselves in the enemy pincers, facing harsh winters, famine and continuous bombing.
Favourable conditions finally developed in January 1943, when the main forces of the Wehrmacht were sent to Stalingrad. During Operation Iskra, the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts broke through the German defences, restoring the land connection of the city with the mainland.
🕯 Losses among the defenders and the population of Leningrad, resulting from the fighting and from the siege totaled 1.5 to 2 million people.
🎖 Over 350,000 soldiers, officers and generals of the Leningrad Front were decorated with orders and medals. The medal For the Defence of Leningrad was conferred on 1.5 million people. In 1965, Leningrad was among the first to receive the title Hero City as a tribute to the heroism and courage shown by its residents during the siege.
The fighting, which lasted from July 1941 to August 1944, took place on the territory of the Leningrad Region, the Estonian SSR, in the western Kalinin Region, and the southern part of the Karelo-Finnish SSR.
Destroying Leningrad was a primary goal under the Operation Barbarossa plan, given the city’s industrial and cultural significance. Hitler planned to use Leningrad as a springboard to strike at the rear of the Soviet troops defending Moscow.
The battle included several stages: defence of the distant and near approaches, 872 days of a siege, the breakthrough and the Soviet offensive in the northwestern direction. Instead of taking the city in three weeks, as Hitler expected, the Nazi troops spent about three years at the gates.
While the Red Army fought fierce battles, the local people selflessly laboured and steadfastly endured the horrors of the siege. The ring finally closed around Leningrad on September 8, 1941. More than 2.8 million people, including 400,000 children, found themselves in the enemy pincers, facing harsh winters, famine and continuous bombing.
Favourable conditions finally developed in January 1943, when the main forces of the Wehrmacht were sent to Stalingrad. During Operation Iskra, the troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts broke through the German defences, restoring the land connection of the city with the mainland.
🕯 Losses among the defenders and the population of Leningrad, resulting from the fighting and from the siege totaled 1.5 to 2 million people.
🎖 Over 350,000 soldiers, officers and generals of the Leningrad Front were decorated with orders and medals. The medal For the Defence of Leningrad was conferred on 1.5 million people. In 1965, Leningrad was among the first to receive the title Hero City as a tribute to the heroism and courage shown by its residents during the siege.
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🔴 #LIVE: #Briefing by Deputy Spokesperson Alexey Zaitsev on topical foreign policy issues
🔗 https://www.ruptly.tv/en/events/202308090800-live15208-deputy-director-of-russian-foreign-ministry-s-information-and-press-department-alexey-zaitsev-holds-weekly-briefing
🔗 https://mid.ru/en/press_service/video
🔗 https://www.ruptly.tv/en/events/202308090800-live15208-deputy-director-of-russian-foreign-ministry-s-information-and-press-department-alexey-zaitsev-holds-weekly-briefing
🔗 https://mid.ru/en/press_service/video
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