More than 3m Soviet soldiers still listed as missing

MOSCOW – MORE than 3 million Soviet soldiers who fought in World War Two are still listed as missing in action, a senior general was quoted as saying on Tuesday – the figure reflecting the enormous scope of the nation's wartime losses.

General Vladimir Isakov, a deputy defense minister, made the statement while attending the burial of the remains of 121 Red Army soldiers who died in the battle of Moscow in 1941, Russian news reports said.

An estimated 27 million Soviets died during the conflict, known to most Russians as the Great Patriotic War, and much of the western part of the country was ravaged during four years of epic battles.

Many historians believe the actual Soviet losses were significantly higher. — AP