18.04.2015.

Seven decades of breakthrough at the Syrmian Front marked

The 70th anniversary of the breaking of the Syrmian Front was marked within the memorial complex in Adasevci near Sid today.

On behalf of the Government of Serbia, wreath were laid by Minister of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Policy Aleksandar Vulin, and the delegation of the Defence Ministry and the Armed Forces of Serbia was headed by Lieutenant General Jovica Draganic, Deputy Head of the General Staff of Serbia.
The wreaths in honor of the fighters were also laid at the memorial plate by delegations of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, representatives of the National Liberation War Fighters, Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Chepurin on behalf of the Russian Federation and officials of embassies of Ukraine, Belarus and Bulgaria.

Addressing representatives of the National Liberation War Fighters, fighters in battles of the Syrmian Front, descendants of the killed fighters and citizens, Vulin stated that the truth about the crimes committed during WWII had become known due to the battles in the Syrmian Front.

Congratulating the anniversary, Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Chepurin stressed that Russia greatly respects and is thankful to the Serbian heroes that had taken part in the breaking of the Syrmian Front, and that this heroic deed will never be forgotten.

Stating that Serbian and Russian soldiers will together march down the Red Square in three weeks, during Moscow Victory Day Parade, Chepurin said that the most important thing for the veterans is to feel respected and not forgotten, to know that we do remember and that we are proud of them.

The breaking of the Syrmian Front lasted 175 day, from October 21, 1944 to April 12, 1945 and it signified the end of World War II in the territory of Serbia.

Around 250,000 soldiers participated in the clashes on both sides and troops of the Red Army, Bulgarian National Army and the Italy Brigade fought together with units of the Yugoslav Army.

The difficult bloody struggles claimed lives of around 13,500 Yugoslav soldiers, mostly young men from Serbia and Montenegro, 1,100 members of the Red Army, 630 members of the Bulgarian National Army and 163 Italian soldiers from the lines of Yugoslav units.

Around 30,000 enemy soldiers were killed in combat.

News, photo, video: Tanjug