Mr Putin laid wreaths at the Eternal Flame in the Hall of Military Glory, the grave of Marshal of the Soviet Union Vasily Chuikov, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and a common grave containing the remains of 35,000 Soviet soldiers who were killed defending Stalingrad.
“One is overwhelmed with sorrow when visiting places like Mamayev Hill. But one is also moved by the grandeur of our homeland. I want to give special thanks to veterans of the Great Patriotic War and those who fought in the battle of Stalingrad. And I want to bow down before the people of Volgograd, who preserve the sacred memory of the homeland’s defenders,” the acting president said while signing the distinguished guests’ book on Mamayev Hill.
Mr Putin talked to war veterans on Mamayev Hill, who asked him for additional material support from the state. Mr Putin promised to do everything necessary in order to provide the veterans with the required assistance.
After visiting the memorial complex “To the Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad”, the acting president went to the regional hospital for Great Patriotic War disabled veterans.