New Delhi [India], March 21 (ANI): The Russian Embassy in India, in collaboration with Delhi Bikers Breakfast Run (DBBR), organised a motorcycle rally in the national capital on Saturday to commemorate the 81st anniversary of the Soviet victory in the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945).

Bikers from India, Russia and other countries participated in the rally, riding through the national capital to pay tribute to soldiers who fought and sacrificed during the war.

Speaking on the occasion to the media, the Russian Charge d'Affaires in India, Roman Babushkin, said the anniversary ride had become a tradition symbolising the strong friendship between the two countries.

'This anniversary ride became a tradition to demonstrate how rock-solid the friendship bonds are between Russia, India and other brother countries,' Babushkin said.

The rally took place with participants describing it as a living tribute to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. Riders from India, Russia and other countries joined the event to honour the event.

According to the official website of the President of Russia, 'The Great Patriotic War was the war of liberation fought by the peoples of the USSR against Nazi Germany and its European allies, and the most important part of World War II. The Great Patriotic War began on June 22, 1941, when German troops launched a surprise attack on the Soviet Union, and ended on May 8, 1945, when Germany signed the act of surrender.'

The website further said, 'The main operations of the Great Patriotic War included the Battle of Moscow, which ended in January 1942 with the enemy being forced into retreat from the capital of the country. A turning point in the Great Patriotic War and in World War II overall was the battle of Stalingrad, which began in July 1942 and ended on February 2, 1943, with a disastrous defeat of the Nazis, who, since 1943, after the Soviet victories in the battle of Kursk and the battle of the Dnieper, were unable to launch any new offensive.'

It added, 'A number of military operations in 1944 fully liberated Belarus, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, forced Nazi Germany's allies Romania and Hungary to surrender and enter the war against Germany, and freed northern Norway from Nazi occupation. Soviet troops went on to liberate Yugoslavia, Poland, part of Austria, and Czechoslovakia. The battle of Berlin ended on May 2, 1945, when the German capital surrendered.'

The website further said, 'According to official data from the Russian Defence Ministry, the Soviet Armed Forces lost more than 8.6 million people in the Great Patriotic War, with the total Soviet Union losses (including civilians) reaching 26.6 million.'(ANI)