Russia aims to put figure on Second War dead

Published on Tuesday 27 January 2009 20:59

DMITRY Medvedev, the Russian president, yesterday ordered officials to determine the precise Soviet death toll in the Second World War as the nation marked the 65th anniversary of the battle that broke the Nazi siege of Leningrad.

Russia, which suffered hugely in the conflict it calls the Great Patriotic War, places substantial importance on commemorating its sacrifices. An estimated 27 million Soviet civilians and soldiers died in the war. He said that more than 2.4 million people are still officially considered missing in action.

Of the 9.5 million buried in mass graves, 6 million are unidentified, he added. Remains are still being found.

Mr Medvedev used the occasion to condemn what he described as efforts to rehabilitate Nazis in some neighbouring nations.

Russia has harshly criticised authorities in the ex-Soviet Baltic nations of Estonia and Latvia for allowing gatherings of local veterans of Nazi SS units.

"We must toughen our stance on the issue," Mr Medvedev said. "There is no room here for delicate diplomatic wording. Our stance must be more combative."