MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The ceremony took place on Wednesday, which was the 75th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II. June 22 is considered the Day of Memory and Grief in Russia as well as in former USSR countries.
At dawn on June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union (code-name operation "Barbarossa").The attack prompted the Soviet government to rapidly mobilize the armed forces. At the beginning of the war, the Red Army comprised almost five million soldiers. Some 29.5 million people were mobilized during the war.
On October 25, 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed amendments to the Law "On the Days of Military Glory and Anniversaries of Russia," with the June 22 Day of Memory and Grief having been included in the list of memorable dates.
The Soviet Union lost more than 25 million people in World War II.
