Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin laid wreaths at a war memorial in Minsk on Wednesday, July 2.
Their limousine pulled up at the memorial to the sound of the mourning bell. The presidents laid flowers and stood for several minutes with their heads down. The military orchestra played the national anthems of the two countries, air balloons painted the colours of the Russian and Belarusian flags were released into the sky and the choir sang a song commemorating those fallen in the war. Then the guard of honour marched past the presidents and a gun salute wrapped up the ceremony.