Russian President Vladimir Putin sent greetings to the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, as well as to the peoples of Georgia and Moldova, on the 81st anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the Kremlin reports.

The Russian President emphasized that “on this day, we acknowledge our gratitude and respect to our fathers and grandfathers who fought shoulder to shoulder in the lines and worked tirelessly on the home front, who, through immeasurable sacrifice and hardship, brought the long-awaited victory over the Nazi invaders ever closer.”

In his messages of greeting to foreign leaders and citizens, the Russian president “warmly congratulated the Great Patriotic War veterans and home front workers, sincerely thanking them and wishing them good health, high spirits, and a long life.”