Address of Acting Prime Minister Andrey Pesoshin on Day of Tribute to Russian citizens performing military duties abroad

Acting Prime Minister Andrey Pesoshin addressed participants of local wars and military conflicts on the Day of Tribute to Russian citizens performing military duties abroad:

“Dear participants of local wars and military conflicts! February 15 is the Day of Tribute to Russian citizens performing military duties abroad. This day we pay tribute to our sons and daughters, participants of conflict regulations abroad. We speak about fates of hundreds of thousands of people, many of them did not come back home to their families.

1.5 million our compatriots took part in 30 wars and military conflicts outside the country. Soviet soldiers and officers were participants of wars in Korea and Vietnam, Syria and Egypt, Mozambique and Angola, Algeria and Ethiopia. They bravely fought believing they helped fraternal peoples to stand for their future. Russian soldiers maintained peace in Yugoslavia and saved people in South Ossetia.

25 years have passed since units of 40th army and special units of border troops left the territory of Afghanistan. 9750 Tatarstan citizens took part in that war, 261 of them were killed, 2121 were awarded with orders and medals. Our compatriot Daudi Ilyas Dilshatovich was given a title “Hero of Russian Federation”.

25 thousand people died performing their duties abroad. Bowing to courage of the fallen in Afghanistan and other flashpoints we do not forget those participants of military operations living with us today, and families of the fallen.

Dear friends! I wish you strong health, peace, happiness and wellbeing!

Acting Prime Minister, A.V. Pesoshin.”