You're reading: Yanukovych: ‘It’s our sacred duty to Second World War victims to prevent new tragedies’

The Great Patriotic War (Second World War) is not over until the last soldier who was killed at war is buried, and the state will promote such steps, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has said.

"Here, on the Knyshivske Cemetery, we should realize before the deceased that the war is not over until the last soldier is buried. And today, while burying the fallen defenders of our motherland, we are doing our moral duty. The state will continue to assist all citizens who are seeking to bury the fallen soldiers," he said at a rally-requiem to mark the Day of Mourning and Memory of War Victims in Boryspil (Kyiv region) on Wednesday.

"It’s our sacred duty to the deceased to overcome the shadows of the past and prevent new tragedies. An immediate and harsh response will be given to any attacks on the peaceful future of Ukraine, no matter where these attacks come from," Yanukovych said.