Latest news with #SovietArmy
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
'My family and I escaped Soviet soldiers after World War Two'
A woman whose family were captured by the Soviet Army just 24 hours after VE Day has written a book about their Smeed, 83, from Bridgwater, grew up in Silesia. It was historically part of Germany but the land was handed to the Polish after the Potsdam Conference in three, she and her mother Maria Gebauer were made to march towards Russia. Her father, a non-commissioned Luftwaffe officer, was taken to a Soviet labour camp."Few people in England know what happened in mainland Europe after the war ended: the brutality, the disease, and the starvation," she said. The family were among 12 million ethnic Germans who were forcibly evicted or fled from their homes after World War Two Potsdam Conference was a meeting between Winston Churchill, Clement Atlee, Harry Truman, and Joseph Stalin to decide the future of postwar the meeting, it was decided that Germany's territory was to be reduced by 25% of what it was in 1937, displacing many like Ms Smeed's family. Forced march Speaking to Radio Somerset, Ms Smeed said that on VE Day itself, "neither side knew the war was over". The next day, Russian soldiers arrived and "took whatever jewellery and luggage they fancied", before forcing her family to march, she said."The men and women were separated, and we began walking through Austria."The people in the towns and villages we came through couldn't believe what the Russians were doing after the war had ended."They were incensed, they were shouting at the Russians and throwing food to the women. "My mother and I were suddenly grabbed by a couple of Austrians and taken into the crowd. "They took us home, and many days later they helped us to get back to my grandmother in Silesia," she said. Meanwhile, her father, Alfred Gebauer, who had refused to join the Nazi Party while in the Luftwaffe, was taken to a labour camp in became very ill after six months, and when he left the labour camp he weighed just 38kg (83lbs).He was released from the camp and sent home, and the family reunited in Świebodzice, there, the family sought refuge in Braunschweig, West Germany, and opened a shoe shop using an heirloom necklace as a guarantee for the Smeed's mother had smuggled the necklace into Germany by baking it into a cake to stop it from being years after VE Day, Ms Smeed became pen friends with an English teenager, Philip Smeed, which eventually led to love and marriage, and her relocating to couple have three children, and six grandchildren, including Somerset County Cricket player Will Smeed, and German rugby player Henry Smeed. Ms Smeed said she wanted to write the book, called Silesia, A Homeland Lost – One German Family's Story of War and Survival, for her grandchildren."It was important to me that my grandchildren would know their Silesian as well as English roots, and that our family's story lives on for future generations," she said."This is also my parents' story, their love for each other and for me, and their determination to survive firstly the Nazi regime, then the war and its aftermath."Millions of Germans were forced from their homeland, with little idea of where they were going, and often in freezing temperatures taking only what they could carry."
Euronews
4 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Video. Astana hosts major military parade for WWII 80th anniversary
More than 4,000 troops from across Kazakhstan's armed forces took part in the commemorative event in the capital, which featured tanks, armoured vehicles, missile systems, and a flypast of 66 aircraft and helicopters. Over 1.2 million Kazakhs served in the Soviet Army during World War II, and an estimated 600,000 soldiers and civilians from Kazakhstan lost their lives in the conflict — a loss President Tokayev described as 'immeasurable' in his address.
Metro
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Metro
Putin appoints 'most bloodthirsty general yet' while attack on Nato fears grow
Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed his 'most bloodthirsty general' to command Russian land forces in a stark warning to the West amid fears of coming territorial attacks on NATO states. Colonel General Andrey Mordvichev, 49, was appointed as overnight strikes by Russian and Ukrainian forces stepped up ahead just hours before expected face-to-face peace talks in Istanbul. Putin's forces hit the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in a drone strike, and hit Volodymyr Zelensky's troops in the southern Donetsk region, also claiming to destroy an ammunition store at Zolotyi Kolodiaz in the same region. Some 50 shells were fired at Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk region, damaging a kindergarten, a school, a church, two houses and cars. Putin fired his long-time commander-in-chief of Russian ground forces Oleg Salyukov, ahead of his 70th birthday. His replacement, Mordvichev, killed tens of thousands of his own men in the Kremlin's operation to capture the blitzed town of Avdiivka in Ukraine. The cost in Avdiivka, for which he was made a Hero of Russia, was immense. Some 16,000 to 17,000 Russian troops were killed and around 30,000 wounded from his cannon fodder advances, in contrast to Ukraine's losses of between 5,000 and 7,000. The death toll in the 2023-24 Avdiivka operation was more than the Soviet Army lost in a decade of fighting in the USSR's notorious occupation of Afghanistan from 1979-89. Mordvichev's appointment comes amid fears that any pause in the Ukraine conflict will see Putin engineer combat operations against NATO states. Dutch military intelligence chief Vice-Admiral Peter Reesink warned recently: 'Russia is producing much more artillery, also with help from other countries, than they need for the war with Ukraine.' More Trending Putin is not only replenishing depleted stockpiles but moving new artillery units toward NATO borders, including the Baltic countries and Finland, he told Politico, adding: 'That's an indication for us that they are building up capability.' And a new report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) found that Russia could attack NATO as soon as 2027 if a Ukrainian ceasefire is agreed this year. The report said if a ceasefire is agreed, and if Trump withdraws from NATO and focuses more on China, European allies can't assume the 'US will provide the necessary military support to defend the continent against Russian aggression'. 'Were US forces to disengage from the European theatre from mid-2025, Europe's window of vulnerability would open quickly,' it added. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Albania's 6ft 7in PM towers over Keir Starmer – see how other leaders stack up MORE: UK developing new 'deep precision strike' weapon with 1,242-mile range MORE: Have you seen these men? Putin and Trump missing from Ukraine peace talks
Mint
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
India-Pak news: Russia assured full support to India in its fight against manifestations of terrorism, says MoS Defence
Russia has assured full support to India in its fight to against all manifestations of terrorism and promised to promptly fulfil military orders in the pipeline, Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth said. The MoS represented India at the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War. While in Moscow, he called on Russian Deputy Defence Minister Col Gen Alexander Fomin to discuss deepening military and technical cooperation, news agency PTI reported. "Russia assured that it will support us in our battle against all manifestations of terrorism and said the cooperation between the two nations will continue to advance based on existing agreements," Seth told PTI. He said that Russia has promised to promptly fulfil military orders in the pipeline. While thanking Russia for its support against cross-border terrorism, he said that both nations have agreed to enhance ties through existing framework and regular consultations. Seth laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during his Russia visit. He also addressed the members of the Indian community in Moscow on Friday. 'The colder the weather in Russia, the warmer the friendship with India,' he said, observing that the month of May is supposed to be pleasantly warm, but this year it was unusually cold. Seth said he was highly impressed by Russian President Vladimir Putin's humble nature. 'I had an opportunity to meet President Putin thrice. He very warmly greeted me and impressed me with his humble nature,' he said. In January 1945, the Soviet Army launched an offensive against Germany. On May 9, the commanders-in-chief then signed the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Germany which ended the war. The national holiday honours the sacrifices of Soviet troops and civilians during the war. The Soviet Union reportedly suffered 24 million casualties during the war, including soldiers and civilians. Russia's state-run news agency quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin as saying on April 29, 'On the banks of the Volga, our troops halted and crushed the enemy. A decisive blow was delivered to the Nazi war machine, marking a turning point in the war and opening the road westward — to Berlin and to the Great Victory, whose 80th anniversary we will solemnly celebrate very soon, on May 9.' (With inputs from agencies)
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia: Trump, Putin congratulate each other on World War II victory
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump exchanged congratulations on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II on Friday. The two heads of state sent congratulations "on the occasion of our joint holiday" through their assistants, Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov told Russian state television. Russia marks the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany every year on May 9, holding a major military parade in Red Square in Moscow. However, Putin indirectly contradicted the US president, underlining that Soviet Army soldiers played a decisive role in the victory over Hitler's Germany in World War II. Trump had earlier described the contribution of the US Army as decisive. Meanwhile in Moscow, few Western leaders attended the ceremonies given the Kremlin's ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Of EU and NATO members, only Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico attended. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić also attended the parade and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov praised the two leaders for their visit. Especially when it comes to Vučić and Fico, "it is simply an act of heroism," Peskov said, referring to Brussels' warnings that people not join the military parade.
