US denies Russian diplomats attempts to lay flowers at graves of Soviet pilots in Alaska

ACCORDING to reports coming out of Russia on Sunday, December 11, Russian diplomats have not been allowed to lay flowers at the graves of Soviet pilots in Alaska.

A report from Russian media outlet IZ said that US authorities denied Russian diplomats to visit the Fort Richardson Cemetery on the outskirts of Anchorage (Alaska) to lay flowers on the graves of Soviet pilots and sailors, as well as civilians killed in Alaska in 1942-1945.

The news outlet, citing an interview by TASS with Nadezhda Shumova, head of the consular department of the Russian embassy in Washington, said that the ceremony was planned to be held the day before, on December 10, within the framework of a short-term official business trip of the Russian Embassy to the USA. However, local authorities in Alaska refused the Russian diplomats to visit the Fort Richardson National Cemetery without explanation.

“Unfortunately, the local American authorities, without explanation, did not allow embassy diplomats to visit the Fort Richardson National Cemetery and kneel before the graves of Soviet pilots and sailors who died in Alaska in 1942-1945,” Shumova told TASS.

To gain access to the graves, a separate permit is required due to the fact they are located on an active military base.

Shumova said that no problems have arisen before.

She said that Russian diplomats were forced to lay flowers at the monument to war veterans, natives of the US state of Alaska.

Nine Soviet pilots and two other servicemen are buried at Fort Richardson War Memorial Cemetery, who died during World War II while ferrying planes to the USSR from the US as part of the lend-lease programme.

Two civilians are also buried there.

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