Russian diplomats, veterans lay wreaths at memorial to Soviet soldiers who freed Tartu
TALLINN. Aug 25 (Interfax) - Diplomats from the Russian embassy in Estonia, and a delegation from Pskov headed by Mayor Ivan Tsetsersky, veterans of the Great Patriotic War (WWII) and Russian fellow citizens in Estonia laid wreaths in Tartu at the memorial to fallen Soviet soldiers in the Raadi park and victims of fascists near the village of Lemmatsi.
The wreath-laying ceremony was held on the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Tartu from fascist occupiers, the press office of the Russian Embassy in Estonia told Interfax.
On August 25, 1944 troops of the 3rd Baltic front disrupted the defense by Hitler's 18th army and took Tartu by storm during the Tartu offensive operation (August 10 to September 6), the embassy said.
Thanks to this success, Soviet soldiers managed to advance considerably into the enemy's defense and to create the conditions for entering the Gulf of Riga. Fifteen formations of units which were the most prominent during fighting were named after Tartu and 16 were awarded with medals.
