Russia and other republics of the former Soviet Union on Sunday marked the 65th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II with the biggest military parades and memorial ceremonies seen in decades, dpa reported. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese President Hu Jintao were among the world leaders and foreign dignitaries in attendance at the annual event in Moscow. The Victory Day celebration began with a minute of silence for the victims of the war and a chiming of the Spasskaya Tower in the Kremlin. More than 10,000 soldiers marched across central Red Square during the hour-long ceremony. The event also displayed military hardware including tanks, guided missile carriers, and a fly-over by 127 aircraft. For the first time ever, troops from France, Britain and the United States - the Allies in the war against Germany - as well as combat formations from the former Soviet republics Ukraine and Belarus took part in the Moscow parade. It was the largest military ceremony seen in the Russian capital since the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991. "This war has made us into a strong nation, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said in a speech at the ceremony. He also said peace in the world remained fragile. "Only together can we do something against the current threats." Similar parades on a scale not seen in 10 years took place in Kiev and Minsk, the capitals of Ukraine and Belarus. For the first time ever, Russian soldiers participated in WWII memorial parades in both countries, including a ceremony in the Ukrainian city Sevastopol. Crowd reaction to Russian paratroopers marching along Khreschatyk, Kiev's main street, was friendly, despite past hostilities. Smaller parades took place in close to 200 cities across the former Soviet Union, according to the Interfax news agency. More than 60,000 people gathered in the west Belarusian city Brest, site of one of the first German attacks on the Soviet Union in the conflict. More than 10,000 people converged on the Soviet Victory Monument in the Latvian capital Riga to lay flowers while veterans proudly displayed their medals. As Ukrainian soldiers marched during Red Army memorials held in the western city of Lviv, some 400 anti-Russia demonstrators held up photographs of people allegedly murdered by the Soviet secret service KGB, after Soviet forces captured the region in 1944. Police maintained a light presence and there were no reports of violence. "The Soviet Union was hit hardest by the fascists," Medvedev said, recalling Soviet war victims during his speech. With 27 million dead, the former Soviet Union suffered more losses than any other nation during World War II. The Russian president also warned of doubts regarding the role of the Red Army in defeating Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler. -- SPA
