Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent his regards to his country's Jewish community, hailing the Soviet Union for saving both them and Europe from the Nazis. For the third year in a row Russia will mark a holiday intended to celebrate the "Salvation and Liberation" of Jews from the Nazis during World War II. The holiday uses the Jewish calendar to mark the date most tied to the allied victory over Nazi Germany in 1945 and the liberation of the series of Nazi concentration camps. It links with the Soviet May 9 holiday, which is marked annually by the Russian government with a large military parade.
Newsweek: Putin salutes Russian Jews over Soviet ‘liberation’ from Nazis
Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures as he delivers a speech to volunteers during the Volunteer Programme launching ceremony in Moscow, on June 1, 2016.
