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🏅 On May 9, 1945, at 12:43 am, the Instrument of Unconditional Surrender of Nazi Germany was signed, putting an end to the Great Patriotic War and #WWII in Europe. Following a successful assault on Berlin by the Red Army, Adolf Hitler committed suicide. The title of Reich President and command of the armed forces of the Third Reich passed to Admiral Karl Dönitz. Desperate to surrender to the British-American troops, on May 5, German delegation arrived in the French city of Reims, where the headquarters of the Western Allies command was located. In the Article 4 of the Reims Instrument of Surrender of Nazi Germany stated that this document did not rule out the signing of another, definitive act at the request of one of the coalition members. Thus, the document was recognised by the Soviet Union only as a preliminary instrument, and a new signing ceremony was proposed to be held in the capital of Nazi Germany, liberated by the Red Army - Berlin. 🌟 On may 9, at 12:43 am in district of Karlshorst the signing ceremony of the Instrument of Unconditional Surrender of Nazi Germany took place. On May 9, 1945, at 2:10 am Moscow time, announcer Yury Levitan read out the Instrument of Unconditional Surrender of Nazi Germany and the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR declaring May 9 Victory Day. From that moment on, the Soviet Union and later Russia, as well as the most former Soviet republics have celebrated Victory Day on May 9. 💬 Sergey Lavrov:This year’s Victory Day has a special significance because we are celebrating this great holiday in a situation where Nazism is rearing its head again. The descendants of Napoleon and Hitler have joined the Anglo-Saxons, again seeking to inflict a “strategic defeat” on our country, destroy it and subordinate it to their narrow selfish hegemonic interests. Just like our fathers and grandfathers volunteered to the front, today, once again, we see an extraordinary upsurge in society, as Russians are rallying to another sacred battle. 📖Read in full

🕯December 3marks the Day of the Unknown Soldier in Russia, honouring the feat of all soldiers who perished for the Motherland, yet whose names remain unknown. #OnThisDay in 1966, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Red Army's victory over Nazi forces in theBattle of Moscow, a ceremony of the burial of the unknown soldiers' remains was held in the Alexander Garden near the walls of the Moscow Kremlin. These remains were originally located in a mass grave on the 41st kilometre of the Leningrad Highway and were discovered during construction activities on the road. Back in 1941, during the Battle of Moscow, this very place saw fierce and bloody battles between the Soviet forces and Nazi invaders. ▪️ On May 8, 1967, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Alexander Garden was unveiled. "Your name is unknown, your deed is immortal", — the worldwide famous words were inscribed upon the granite slab on the Tomb. Soviet newspapers noted back then: "...he [the Unknown Soldier] was slain for his Motherland, for his home — Moscow. This is all we know about him." 💬 Marshal of the Soviet Union Konstantin Rokossovsky remarked: "The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the ancient walls of the Moscow Kremlin shall serve as a monument of eternal glory to the heroes who died on the battlefield for their Motherland. Henceforth, the ashes of the one who shielded Moscow with his chest rest here". The Eternal Flame was set at the Tomb. In December of 1997, the Honor Guard was instituted near the Eternal Flame. In total, approximately two million Soviet and Russian citizens were reported missing in action during the wars and conflicts of the 20th and 21st centuries. The Russian Ministry of Defence carries out on a regular basis search operations to perpetuate the memory of heroes who perished for the Motherland. Russian diplomats abroad are engaged in extensive efforts aimed at preserving historical memory, countering attempts to distort the history of #WWII and to question the Great Victory of the Soviet people. The Embassies of Russia all across the world ensure the maintenance, repair and restoration of Soviet monuments and war graves. ❗️ Regrettably, as part of a disgraceful campaign to distort history of #WWII, a policy ofstate vandalism is being pursued in certain countries of Eastern Europe, in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland in particular, with the one aim — to eradicate Russia's memorial heritage — the monuments to Soviet heroes and liberators. By order of the official authorities, criminal acts are being perpetrated in these countries to desecrate mass graves, when the remains of fallen soldiers are barbarically exhumed for the purpose of their subsequent "reburial in accordance with European practice" in specially designated locations. 🎗 It is prohibited for Russian compatriots in Europe, under the threat (!) of criminal prosecution, to pay tribute to heroes who fought against Nazism. The Russian MFA highlights these outrageous incidents. The memory of all who sacrificed their lives for our future is and will remain immortal. #WeRemember

◼️ June 22 is the #DayOfMemoryAndSorrow in Russia, the the most tragic date in the modern history of our country. On this day 8️⃣4️⃣ years ago — on June 22, 1941 — the Soviet Union was attacked, unprovoked and without a declaration of war, by the Nazi Germany and its European cronies, which unleashed the full might of its vicious war machine. For our people on that day the Great Patriotic War began — the bloodiest and most brutal, devastating and terrible war, which lasted 1418 days and claimed lives of some 27 million Soviet citizens. Obsessed with the ideas of racial superiority, the Hitlerites and their henchmen in Europe planned to wipe entire nations off the face of the Earth, and the survivors left — to turn into slaves of the Third Reich. The Germans invaded our country with one goal — to physically annihilate the Soviet people, to destroy our nation's centuries-old cultural and spiritual heritage — the Nazis and their allies carried out a genocide. 2️⃣2️⃣.0️⃣6️⃣.1️⃣9️⃣4️⃣1️⃣ At dawn at 4 am, the enemy aviation launched massive strikes on airfields, railway stations, Soviet naval bases, deployments of the Red Army forces and cities along the entire western state border of the USSR to a depth of up to 250-300 km. Together with Nazi Germany,Romania, Italy, Finland and other states allied to the Third Reich took part in the aggression. The industries of almost the entire continental Europe served the aggressors. The people of the USSR were informed on the radio about the attack by the Nazis and, thus, the beginning of the war. At noon on June 22, 1941, the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs, Vyacheslav Molotov, on behalf of the Soviet leadership addressed the nation: 🎙 "Today, at 4 a.m. in the morning, the German troops have invaded our country, without making any demands on the Soviet Union and without a declaration of war. They have attacked our borders in many places and have subjected our towns to aerial bombardments. This unheard-of attack on our nation, despite the non-aggression Treaty between the USSR and Germany, is unprecedented in the history of civilized nations."<...> Our cause is right. The enemy shall be defeated. Victory will be ours!" It was the Soviet Union that bore the main burden of the Nazi aggression in Europe. It was the Soviet Victorious People who showed unparalleled heroism, courage and fortitude, fighting to the last drop of blood for the freedom of our Motherland, crushed Nazism and saved Europe from the Nazi 'plague'. It was on the Eastern Front of the European theater of #WWII that the Nazis and their henchmen lost more than 75% of their forces fighting the Red Army. 🌟 The Great Victory was achieved at a high price. The Soviet Union's losses amounted to 40% of all human casualties during WWII — almost 27 million people. Of these, more than 8.7 million perished on the battlefield, 7.42 million people were deliberately and cold-bloodedly killed by the Nazis. Over 5 million Soviet citizens were taken into slavery and moved to Germany and Reich-occupied European countries. To this day June 22 still echoes in the hearts of all Russians with grief, sorrow and pain for the lives lost and fates of entire generations broken. There is no family in our country and in the former Republics of the Soviet Union that was not affected by that terrible war. There is #NoStatuteOfLimitations for the crimes committed by the Nazis and their collaborators on our land. On this day, we bow our heads in memory of our ancestors who perished during the Great Patriotic War. 🎙 Excerpt from the comment by Russian MFA Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on the occasion of the Day of Memory and Sorrow(June 21, 2025): 💬 "Unlike the "collective West", we do not divide the victims of the Nazis into categories — they all deserve justice and for their executioners to be punished. We, regardless of race, nationality and religion, mourn the 2.6 million Jewish citizens of the USSR, millions of Slavs and representatives of other ethnic groups of the multinational Soviet people who became victims of genocide".

#Victory80 🌟 80 years ago, on May 9, 1945, at 0:43 am Moscow time, the Instrument of UnconditionalSurrender of the Nazi Germanywas signed. This historic document marked the Soviet Union’s Victory in the Great Patriotic War, brought an end to #WWII in Europe, signalled the final collapse of Nazism. *** Earlier, on May 2, 1945, following the fall of the Reichstag — the main Nazi stronghold — and the surrender of the Berlin garrison, the Red Army completed its successful operation to capture Berlin. The Soviet forces crushed Nazi resistance, taking full control of the Nazi government headquarters, including Hitler's Reichskanzlei (Reich Chancellery) and bunker. Germany’s final & unconditional surrender to the Allies was preceded by several local capitulations of the Nazi troops along various fronts. Moreover, in April 1945, certain Nazi military leaders, who were aware that the Third Reich’s collapse was imminent, fearing justice for their crimes, sought secret talks with Anglo-American forces, trying to divide the Allied anti-Hitler coalition. On April 29, just before the surrender of the Berlin garrison, the Nazi troops surrendered in Italy. Days later, on May 4, the Wehrmacht capitulated in the Netherlands, Denmark, Schleswig-Holstein, and Northwest Germany. On May 5, German troops also laid down their arms in Western Austria. 👉 Desperate to surrender to the British-American forces, on May 5, the Nazi delegation arrived in the French city of Reims, where the headquarters of the Allies' command was located. There, on May 7, the Act of Military Surrender was signed. Article 4 of the document did not rule out the signing of another, definitive act: “This act of military surrender… will be superseded by any general instrument of surrender… applicable to Germany and the German armed forces as a whole.” Due to that, the Soviet leadership deemed the Reims document only as a preliminary instrument, believing that the official surrender of the Nazis had to be ensured in Berlin, the city where the Nazi aggression originated from. At the Soviet government’s request, a second and final ceremony of surrender took place. ✍️ In the early hours of May 9, 1945, at 0:43 Moscow time (22:43 CET), the final and definitive Instrument of UnconditionalSurrender of the Nazi Germany was signedat the ceremony in #Karlshorst, Berlin. The surrender was accepted by Marshal Georgy Zhukov on behalf of the Soviet Union and Deputy Commander of the Allied forces Marshal Arthur Tedder on behalf of the Western Allies. From the German side, the Instrument was signed by Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, Colonel General Hans-Jurgen Stumpff, & Admiral Hans-Georg von Friedeburg. With the Instrument being signed, the Nazi government was officially dissolved, the defeated German military laid down arms. 🖋 From the memoirs by military correspondent Konstantin Simonov: 💬 “Zhukov stands up and says: “The German delegation may leave the hall.” The Germans stand up. Keitel… turns on his heel and leaves. And instantaneously, all tension in the room relaxes, and everybody exhales in unison. The act of surrender has been signed, and the war is over.” On May 9, 1945, at 2:10 am Moscow time, announcer Yury Levitan read out the Instrument of Unconditional Surrender of Nazi Germany & the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR declaring May 9 Victory Day. From that moment forward, the Soviet Union and later Russia, as well as the most former Soviet republics have celebrated Victory Day on May 9. 🎙 An excerpt from a briefing of Russian MFA Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, May 6, 2025: 💬 "The peoples of the Soviet Union not only defeated the Wehrmacht, but also brought life, liberation and salvation to the peoples of Eastern and Central Europe. The Red Army, the Soviet soldiers literally stopped the Nazi extermination machine in its tracks and put out the crematoria of the Holocaust. Those who deny this are clearly supporting the resurgence of Nazism and the rise of neo-Nazism". 📖Learn for more in our in-depth historical delve.

@RusEmbMalta Press Release 🇷🇺 Ahead of the Victory Day anniversary, we would like to once again draw attention to the growing challenges related to the distortion of the history of World War II and the glorification of Nazism. In recent years, a troubling trend of so-called “historical aggression” has become increasingly evident – deliberate attempts to rewrite history for political purposes. In a number of countries, we are witnessing the dismantling and desecration of monuments to those who fought against Nazism, while marches of former SS members and their supporters take place, and new memorials are erected in honor of those associated with racist ideologies. Such developments cannot but cause serious concern ⚠️ The Russian Federation consistently treats the fight against the glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism, racism, xenophobia, and the falsification of history as a key priority of its international human rights agenda. This work is carried out systematically, including within multilateral frameworks Since 2005, Russia has annually introduced at the UN General Assembly the resolution “Combating glorification of Nazism…”. The latest resolution, adopted on 15 December 2025, was supported by 119 states, with 43 countries co-sponsoring it. Despite political pressure and attempts to undermine the initiative, the voting results clearly demonstrate that the majority of the international community rejects efforts to revise the outcomes of World War II and remains committed to the principles of the UN Charter and the Nuremberg Tribunal. At the same time, a special commemorative meeting of the UN General Assembly held on 7 May 2025, initiated by Russia and supported by 53 states, highlighted the continued relevance of preserving historical truth and recognizing the decisive contribution of the Soviet people to the Victory. Russia firmly condemns any manifestations of the glorification of Nazism and attempts to distort historical facts. Preserving the memory of World War II is not only about the past – it is a cornerstone of international stability and a safeguard against repeating the tragedies of history. 🤝 Today, it is essential to consolidate international efforts to prevent the glorification of Nazism, counter historical revisionism, and preserve an objective understanding of World War II as a foundation for peace, security, and mutual respect among nations. #VictoryDay#WWII#NoToNazism#StopFalsification

#Victory80 🌟 In the early hours of May 1, 1945, the #VictoryBanner was raised atop the Reichstag during the Battle of Berlin. It became a symbol of the triumph of the Soviet Union & its peoples in the fight against Nazism. The legendary Red Banner №5, which became the famous Victory Banner, was raised over the dome of the defeated Reichstag by the 756th Rifle Regiment’s scouts, Sergeant Mikhail Yegorov & Junior Sergeant Meliton Kantariya. Before the assault, a decision was made for a group of Soviet soldiers to hoist the flag over the Reichstag, which would embody the final collapse of Nazism. 🚩 A total of 9 makeshift banners were promptly made, designed after the state flag of the USSR. Ultimately, a battle flag of the 150th Order of Kutuzov 2nd Class Idritsa Rifle Division, 79th Rifle Corps, 3rd Striking Army of the 1st Belarusian Front, became the Victory Banner. On April 29, the fierce fighting for the Reichstag began, which the Nazis had turned into a fortified point of resistance. It was defended by over a thousand men, including SS troops supported by artillery and armor. The Reichstag was of special symbolic importance to the Nazi Germany. The Germans considered it their main fortress during the final days of #WWII. The Soviet command was sure that the storming of that citadel, which was a symbol of German Nazism, would especially affect morale of the enemy and eventually completely demoralize the fascists. ⚔️ On April30at 1:50 p.m., a Red Army unit broke into the Reichstag through breaches in the walls, with a fierce close combat unleashing. The Nazis took advantage of effectively advancing inside the building they new well, throwing grenades at Soviet soldiers & firing back with machine-guns: they basically had nothing to lose. ⏱️ At 2.25 p.m., Red Army soldiers Bulatov and Koshkarbayevplaced a makeshift red flag to the column of the main entrance to the Reichstag — it was the first of the banners the liberators raised over the Reichstag. ⏱️ At 10.30 p.m., staff sergeants Gizet Zagitov, Alexander Lisimenko & Alexey Bobrov as well as Sergeant Mikhail Minin supported by Captain Neustroyev’s battalion were the 1st to hoist a red banner on the roof of the Reichstag atop of the Goddess of Victory sculpture. The 3rd red banner was raised on the western facade of the roof by the scouts of the 674th Regiment led by Lieutenant Sorokin. ⏱️ In the early hours of May 1, finally, the Red Banner №5 was raised over the dome of the captured Reichstag by the 756th Rifle Regiment’s scouts, Sergeant Mikhail Yegorov & Junior Sergeant Meliton Kantariya, led by deputy battalion commander Lieutenant Alexey Berest, covered by riflemen from Ilya Syanov's squad. That flag ultimately became the Victory Banner. 📃 By a Presidential Executive Order of April 15, 1996, the Red Banner hoisted atop of the Reichstag by Yegorov & Kantariya was declared the symbol of the Soviet people’s Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. #WeAreProud

#Victory80 🏅8️⃣0️⃣ years ago, on April 13, 1945, the Soviet forces liberated the capital of Austria during the #Vienna Offensive. 🌟 By the spring of 1945, the Red Army drove the Nazi invaders out of Poland,Hungary and Slovakia and rapidly launched an offensive towards Germany. The Third Reich’s defeat was only a matter of time: the Soviet forces were preparing to attack Berlin. *** Austria, annexed by the Nazis as a result of anschluss in 1938, served as a shield for the Third Reich’s southern regions during #WWII. The capital of Austria — the city of Vienna — was a strategically important point of the Nazi defence, which the enemy was committed to hold at any cost. ⚔️ In March 1945, during the successful offensive along the Austrian line of advance, the Red Army broke the resistance of the Nazi units deployed between the Danube and Lake Balaton (Hungary) and defeated the troops of the Nazi army group 'South'. Having advanced by that time up to 80 kilometers to Vienna, the Soviet forces launched the operation to liberate the Austrian capital. The enemy undertook extensive preprations to hold the city. The streets were barricaded and mine-strewn. Firing points were set up in residential buildings. Destroyed houses were used to camouflage tanks and artillery pieces. All bridges over the Danube were prepared by the Nazis for demolition. In the event of retreat, the Nazis were ready to tear down the Austrian capital to the ground, including by destroying (!) itshistorical architectural heritage. On April 5, 1945, the Soviet forces attacked the Nazi garrison in Vienna. Intense fighting erupted on the city outskirts. The Red Army was confronted by the most prepared enemy units and formations, including SS tank divisions. Soviet soldiers fought to death against the Nazis for every quarter and every building of the city. With a view to prevent victims among the city's population and protect Vienna from destruction by the Nazis, the Soviet command addressed local residents: 📢The Red Army entered Austria not to occupy its territory but only to defeat the enemy Nazi troops and liberate the country from German occupation. It also called on the Vienna residents to help fight the Nazis — this call was answered by many Austrian patriots. On April 13, the last enemy point of resistance in the city centre was crushed, with Vienna being completely liberated from the Nazis. During the fierce and brutal fighting for Vienna, the Red Army crushed Wehrmacht's 11 armoured divisions, destroyed the 6th SS Tank Army, and captured more than 130,000 enemy soldiers and officers. The Soviet people paid a high price for the liberation of Vienna from the Nazis: 38,000 Red Army soldiers gave their lives for saving the city from fascists. Having liberated Vienna, our country provided aid to the city residents. The population was supplied with food: hundreds of tonnes of grain, meat, sugar, salt and other products were given to the Austrians. After the war, the people of Vienna recalled how their “fear of hunger had disappeared” and spoke with gratitude about the generosity of the Soviet people, which “exceeded all expectations.” 🎙 An excerpt from the briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova (April 9, 2025): 💬 “By acting swiftly and selflessly, the Soviet forces prevented the destruction of Vienna. It was thanks to the decision by the Soviet command not to use artillery that Vienna has preserved its historical outlook.” *** 🌟 A monument to the Soviet soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the sake of the liberation of Austria from Nazism was unveiled on August 19, 1945, on #Schwarzenbergplatz in the centre of Vienna. The country has 217 monuments and war graves on its territory. Tens of thousands Red Army soldiers, who saved Europe from the Nazi plague, are buried in Austria. ❗️ In 1955, under the State Treaty for the Re-establishment of Independent and Democratic Austria (Art.19), Vienna took the obligations to respect, preserve and maintain the graves of the soldiers on Austrian territory.

@RusEmbMalta Press release 📞Telephone Conversation Between President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump 🗓️ On June 14, Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump held another substantive and sincere telephone conversation, which lasted approximately 50 minutes. 🔻 Key discussion points: 🌍Middle East escalation – The two leaders focused on the dangerous deterioration of the situation between Israel and Iran. – President Putin strongly condemned the Israeli military operation against Iran and voiced serious concerns over the risk of further escalation with unpredictable consequences for the entire region. – He informed President Trump of his recent calls with the Israeli Prime Minister and the President of Iran, stressing the importance of preventing further conflict and confirming Russia’s readiness to mediate. – Vladimir Putin recalled that Russia had earlier proposed constructive steps to facilitate agreements between the US and Iran regarding the nuclear programme, but Israel launched its strikes just before the planned June 15 round of negotiations. 🇷🇺 Russia reaffirmed its principled stance and commitment to diplomatic resolution. 🇺🇸 President Trump, while acknowledging the effectiveness of Israel’s actions, also described the situation as highly alarming. – Both leaders agreed that, despite the complexity of the situation, a return to negotiations on the Iran nuclear issue remains possible. – Donald Trump noted that the US negotiating team is prepared to resume indirect talks with Iran, facilitated by Oman (as had happened in five previous rounds). 🔹Russia–Ukraine talks – President Putin updated President Trump on the implementation of the June 2 Istanbul agreements between Russian and Ukrainian delegations. – He reported that an exchange of POWs was currently underway, including those seriously wounded and under the age of 25. – Ukraine had also received two batches of bodies of the deceased. – Russia confirmed its willingness to resume talks after June 22, as previously agreed. – Donald Trump acknowledged this and reiterated his interest in a swift resolution of the conflict. 🎂Personal exchange – President Putin congratulated Donald Trump on his 79th birthday. – Both presidents expressed appreciation for their personal relationship, which allows for open, constructive dialogue on even the most difficult bilateral and global issues. – Vladimir Putin also congratulated the US on Flag Day and the 250th anniversary of the US Army. – The conversation ended with a mutual reminder of the wartime alliance between Russia and the US during World War II 🇷🇺🤝🇺🇸 #Putin#Trump#RussiaUSA#MiddleEast#Iran#Israel#Ukraine#PeaceTalks#WWII

@RusEmbMalta: 🇷🇺 Интервью Посла России на Мальте А.Г.Лопухова газете «Торча» по случаю 80-летия Победы в Великой Отечественной войне 4 мая 2025 года мальтийская газета Torċa опубликовала первую часть интервью Посла России в Республике Мальта А.Г.Лопухова Шону Борчу. Беседа приурочена к 80-летию Победы в Великой Отечественной войне и посвящена исторической памяти, современному восприятию событий Второй мировой войны и роли России в сохранении мира. 📰 Публикуется первая из двух частей интервью. 📎 Читать на русском языке. 💬Interview with Russian Ambassador to Malta Andrey Lopukhov in Torċa newspaper on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War On May 4, 2025, the Maltese newspaper It-Torċa published the first part of an interview with the Russian Ambassador to Malta, H.E. Andrey Lopukhov, conducted by Shawn Borg. The conversation, timed to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, touches on the themes of historical memory, the modern view of World War II, and Russia's role in preserving peace. 📰 This is the first of two parts of the interview. 📎 Read in English. #ДеньПобеды#Победа80#VictoryDay80#GreatPatrioticWar#WWII

🌟#OnThisDay8️⃣0️⃣ years ago, on January 27, 1945, Auschwitz-Birkenau (Oswiecim, was located in Nazi-occupied Poland) — the most terrifying German extermination camp in #WWII — was liberated by the Red Army’s 1st Ukrainian Front during the Vistula–Oder offensive operation. #Auschwitz was created by the Nazis in 1940 in a building that used to serve as military barracks near a small town called Oswiecim, whose history dates back to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Having occupied Poland in 1939, the Nazis changed the town's name of Oswiecim to German Auschwitz. Later, in 1941-1943, two more imprisonment facilities were established in the vicinity of Oswiecim. They were: ▪️Auschwitz II — best known to the wider public as #AuschwitzBirkenau, was three kilometres away from the main facility — Oswiecim and located near Brzezinka, a Polish village (Birkenau in German). Auschwitz-Birkenau was the largest "death factory". Equipped with crematoriums and gas chambers, it was created by the Nazis with only one aim — exterminate people. ▪️Auschwitz III (also known as Monowitz). Its prisoners were used by the Nazis for the Third Reich war industries. Following the so-called Wannsee Conference in 1942, the Nazis approved what was called the “final solution to the Jewish question”. Since then, Auschwitz-Birkenau was turned into the main "death factory" for the annihilation of Jews in Europe. ❗️ Prisoners of Oswiecim were held by the Nazis in inhuman, barbaric conditions. They had to do hard, exhausting work until total exhaustion, to endure poor sanitation in the camp's facilities, malnutrition and constant tortures by the guards and SS-troops. It was in Oswiecim that the Germans first tested the "Zyklon-B" poisonous agent on human beings. Prisoners of Auschwitz were also subjected to cruel medical experiments, led by a Nazi criminal, infamous retired military doctor Josef Mengele. In 1944, when the Red Army started the liberation of Europe, the Nazis, in an effort to cover the tracks of their crimes in Auschwitz, rushed to burn documents and destroy the camp's gas chambers, crematoriums, and deported as many prisoners as they could westward to other concentration camps deep in the Third Reich — over 58,000 prisoners were evacuated by the Nazis before Oswiecim and liberated by the Soviet forces in January, 1945. *** In January 1945, the units of the 1st Ukrainian Front launched the Vistula-Oder offensive and, successfully expelling the Nazis from Poland, finally reached Auschwitz. ⚔️ In the late hours of January 27, following three days of fighting the retreating enemy, the Red Army took over Oswiecim and opened the gatesofAuschwitz. The camp’s 7,000 prisoners were freed. Most of them were sick or suffering from extreme exhaustion and tortures. Rescued prisoners burst into tears of joy when they greeted their liberators. Some facilities of the camp were instantly made a hospital. According to various historic estimates, in 1940-1945, from 1.5 to 4 million people perished in Auschwitz-Birkenau. Over the past years, we are witnessing a campaign in several European countries, including Poland, to rewrite and falsify the history of WWII and, in particular, to erase the memory of the feat performed by the Soviet soldiers-liberators who saved the Auschwitz prisoners. 🎙 From a briefing by Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on topical foreign policy issues (January 23, 2025): 💬 "This year, like all those years before, Russian representatives will not be invited to the commemoration ceremonies at Auschwitz-Birkenau on January 27. That is, there will be no one there to mention the Soviet liberator soldiers and express gratitude to them. In this regard, there is something that needs to be said to the organisers and all the Europeans who will be there: Your lives, your work and leisure, the very existence of your nations, your children have been paid for by Soviet soldiers, their lives, their blood. It was them who crushed the Third Reich machine. You are forever in their debt." 🕯#WeRemember