Red Army

Moldova commemorated 80 years since the first of three massive waves of deportations ordered by the Soviet authorities and executed by NKVD special services.

 Twenty-eight tonnes of Nazi gold worth more than £1billion may have been traced to the grounds of a palace in Poland after the location was mentioned in an SS diary.

The stash of gold bars, jewellery and coins is believed to be sitting 200ft down at the bottom of a destroyed well shaft in the grounds of the Hochberg Palace, near the city of Wroclaw.

Ljubljana/Lendava, 27 January – Slovenia is marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Wednesday with a series of events, including the laying of wreaths, exhibitions and the traditional reading of the names of Slovenian Holocaust victims. Top Slovenian officials labelled the Holocaust one of the bleakest moments in history, warned against its denial and urged tolerance.

Moldova's President has been criticised for sending soldiers to Moscow to join the Victory Day parade on June 24, despite the potential risks to their health in Russia - one of the worst affected countries in the world by COVID-19.

Moldova will send 75 soldiers to the Red Square parade, one of the largest number of soldiers ever used for such an event.

The article, referencing intelligence sources and published by the highly regarded Respekt weekly magazine, set off a burst of curt and conflicting statements from Prague and Moscow in a diplomatic dust-up that threatens to escalate. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman dismissed the report as fake, and the foreign ministry in Moscow demanded action. 

The presence of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the Auschwitz death camp - the largest and arguably the most notorious of them all - on the 75th anniversary yesterday of its liberation by the Red Army is a good opportunity for reflection.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis paid homage to the victims of the Holocaust during a visit to the former Auschwitz death camp on Monday, as survivors and world leaders gathered in Poland to commemorate 75 years since Soviet troops liberated it.

"It's very emotional to be on this stage after all these people who liberated Belgrade and the films about the heroism of the liberators of Belgrade. 75 years have passed, and we know that this victory was won by those who sit here with us or are no longer with us. Therefore, this victory and the memory of it is of utmost importance. The memory of those who forged this victory.

Moldovan Prime Minister Maia Sandu has asked the State Chancellery to prepare a draft decree under which August 23 will be declared an annual day of commemoration for the victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes.

The pro-Russian President of Moldova, Igor Dodon, and supporters of the Socialist Party on Thursday led a march to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Red Army victory over Nazi Germany and the end of World War II.

"It must be an equal celebration for everybody. Victory Day is a celebration of all citizens in Moldova," Dodon said.