"Putin Condemns 'Russophobia' and Repeats Ukraine Claims at Leningrad Siege Memorial"

St. Petersburg commemorates the 80th anniversary of the end of the devastating World War II siege of Leningrad with events attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. The Red Army broke the nearly 2½-year blockade on Jan. 19, 1943, after fierce fighting, with estimates of over 1 million Leningrad residents perishing. An open-air exhibition in central St. Petersburg and Putin's personal connection to the siege highlight the significance of World War II in Russia's national identity.