Moscow, June 22: Russian President Vladimir Putin laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier next to the Kremlin Wall today morning to commemorate the 62nd anniversary of the nazi invasion of the former Soviet Union. Veterans and others placed candles at the tomb to mark the day German troops crossed into soviet territory on June 22, 1941. Others gathered at sites around Russia, Ukraine and Belarus to observe the day.

The pro-Putin youth group walking together arrived at the tomb to light candles at 4 am on Sunday morning, the time when Soviet radio announced the German invasion.

"During the night, several thousand young people in Moscow and all over the country go outside and light candles,'' said Vassily Yakimenko, the leader of walking together. "We think they must remember about this tragedy.''


While the presidential orchestra played the Russian National Anthem, a guard of honor marched past the eternal flame while Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, members of the cabinet and parliamentary groups added red carnations to the red, white and blue presidential wreath placed on the tomb by Putin.

In Ukraine, President Leonid Kuchma laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier while veterans and others observed a moment of silence to mark the German invasion.
Kiev was bombed in the first hours of the war, and Ukraine saw some of the fiercest battles. Some 700 towns and 28,000 villages in Ukraine suffered massive damage.

Bureau Report