The Russian Ambassador took part in the ceremony of commemoration of the victims of the bombing in Nagasaki

On August 9, Russian Ambassador to Japan Nikolai Nozdryov took part in a memorial ceremony for the victims of the American bombing of Nagasaki in 1945 and visited the Russian Cemetery.

"As you know, starting in 2022, Russia was not invited to the commemorative ceremonies in Hiroshima and Nagasaki under the hypocritical pretexts of "difficult international situation" and "security concerns." We know that this was not done without prompting from the Japanese government, which is known for its anti—Russian approaches, including in the context of the situation in Ukraine," Nozdryov told reporters. His words are quoted by RIA Novosti.

The Ambassador noted that the Russian delegation also took part in the peace memorial ceremony and memorial service in memory of the victims of the American atomic bombing of Nagasaki. In addition, the diplomats visited the Russian Cemetery, where more than 500 Soviet servicemen are buried.

Nozdryov also explained why he did not attend a similar funeral ceremony in Hiroshima on August 6. According to him, the Nagasaki authorities refused to politicize the event.

"Representatives of the administration personally visited the Russian embassy, handing over a letter signed by the mayor of the city inviting them to take part in the memorial service and accompanying it with exhaustive explanations regarding previous steps. Taking into account these circumstances, as well as the fact that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the tragic events, it was decided to attend the memorial event," the diplomat said.

The tragedy of the century: how the Americans dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima

Nuclear weapons were used for the first time 80 years ago

On August 6, hundreds of people attended a protest in Hiroshima, Japan, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the nuclear bombing of the city by American troops. The protesters demanded the complete abandonment of nuclear weapons, as well as the cessation of armed conflicts.

In August 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on Japanese Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This is the only case of combat use of nuclear weapons in history, which claimed the lives of thousands of people. More than 200 thousand people became victims of the attack, and the list continues to grow.

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