26 Dec 2019 16:21

Japan gives Russia soil from grave of Soviet intelligence officer Sorge - Russian Defense Ministry

MOSCOW. Dec 26 (Interfax) - Japan has given Russia soil from the grave of Soviet intelligence officer Richard Sorge as part of the action Handful of Memory, Russian Deputy Defense Minister and head of the Russian Armed Forces' Main Military-Political Directorate Andrei Kartapolov said.

"Soil from the grave of Soviet intelligence officer Richard Sorge has been brought from Japan," Kartapolov said.

The Russian Defense Ministry has also received soil from the mass graves of Soviet troops from Azerbaijan, Spain, China, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Serbia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Sweden, and Finland.

"All in all, there are plans to bring soil from more than 40 countries," Kartapolov said, thanking foreign partners "for their contribution to work perpetuating the memory of Russian warriors who gave their lives to defend their country."

The bags with soil will be put into the brass cartridges of artillery shells and will be installed on the territory of the main church of the Russian Armed Forces.