We deeply regret the decision enabling the personal participation of Russian Foreign Minister S. Lavrov at the 30th Session of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Skopje. It will only provide Russia with yet another propaganda opportunity," the statement said. Reports have emerged about the deteriorating physical condition of Hamed Yeganepor, who was arrested in Maragheh. Despite a heart condition requiring medical attention, Yeganepor is reportedly receiving insufficient care and was returned to the detention center after a brief hospital visit. It should be noted that with the annexation of Crimea and the beginning of Russian aggression in Donbas, the St. George ribbon as a universal symbol has lost its meaning. The ribbon has become a symbol of the “Russian world”, Russian aggression and Russian neo-colonial politics. In 2014-2015, even Belarus refused it – then during the celebration of Victory Day in Belarus they replaced the St. George ribbon with apple blossoms. The ribbon is banned in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan – that is, since 2014 we can say that the ribbon is no longer a symbol of World War II, but a symbol of Russian military aggression and expansion,” says Yana Primachenko. In 1806, distinctive Georgian banners were introduced as a further battle honour awarded to meritorious Guards and Leib Guard regiments. These banners had the Cross of Saint George as their finials and were adorned with 4.44cm wide Georgian ribbons. It remained the highest collective military award in the Imperial Russian Army until the Revolution in 1917. [ citation needed]

Young people and intellectuals in Tajikistan, meanwhile, have informally called for the idea of banning the St. George ribbon as a way of protesting creeping Russian influence. On 16 May 2017, the ribbon was officially banned in the country, with those who produce or promote the symbol subject to fines or temporary arrest. According to Speaker Andriy Parubiy ( People's Front), the symbol had become a symbol of "Russia's aggression and occupation of Ukraine". [36] Belarus [ edit ] Since the start of the conflict in Eastern Ukraine in 2014, the Saint George Ribbon has been used by paramilitary groups to mark their allegiance. Pro-Russian activists have been seen sporting the symbol, even tying it to military equipment.

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St George's Cross, 4th Class, awarded to 2nd Lt. John Mitchell 1919". Fitzwilliam Museum. University of Cambridge. Archived from the original on 23 October 2017 . Retrieved 4 June 2017. In December 2022, president Vladimir Putin signed a law making desecration of the ribbon a criminal offense, with the law designating the ribbon as an official symbol of military glory that can only be used in events "dedicated to notable dates in Russia" or "aimed at patriotic and morally-spiritual education of Russian citizens". [21] Ukraine [ edit ] Major General Hermann Christoph Gamper, Imperial Russian cavalry commander during the Patriotic War of 1812

Voennyĭ orden sviatogo velikomuchenika i pobedonostsa Georgiia: imennye spiski 1769 – 1920; biobibliograficheskiĭ spravochnik / otvetstvennyĭ sostavitel' V. M. Shabanov. Moskva 2004, ISBN 5-89577-059-2 This cult ofthe St. George ribbons andwar veterans has taken ongrotesque proportions. Not only are officials andordinary citizens ready totake offense atany passing remark, but they seem tohave forgotten thefar more obvious andimportant question ofthe veterans themselves. Forexample, this year marks the69th anniversary ofthe victory inWorld War II. It happens that theaverage lifespan forRussians is also 69— andfor men it is even shorter. Thepoint is, if any veterans are still alive, they must be very few innumber. Every year thecity honors its veterans ofthe Great Patriotic War andposts its reports online. In2004, Moscow had 108,000 veterans. Five years later, in2009, thenumber had more than doubled to272,000. Inanother three years, in2012, theoriginal number had tripled to340,000 veterans. Kudrytskiy said the worst-affected by the bad weather was southern Ukraine, in particular the Odesa, Mykolaiyv, and Kherson regions, where most communities still disconnected are located. The ban on similar grounds to that in Latvia was discussed after the Russian annexation of Crimea. [42] The ribbon was finally banned, along with "Z" and "V" military symbols, in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. [43] Moldova [ edit ] One of the most honourable medals in the Soviet Union, the Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (Russian: За победу над Германией) also features St. George stripes. It was awarded to all the soldiers and officers who participated in the Eastern Front campaigns, and was the first award to be universally granted to all the veterans, for the most part, right after the end of the war.Who benefits from exacerbating the already fragile interethnic relations in our republic? Many Latvian Russians may perceive this bill as a blow to their national dignity,” writes Sputnik. KYIV -- Ukrainian officials have confirmed reports that Marianna Budanova, the wife of the chief of the country's military intelligence service, had been poisoned with "heavy metals" and is in hospital for treatment, in what appears to represent the most serious targeting of a family member of Ukraine's leadership since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. The poppy comes in many different sizes and materials. It is often a paper boutonniere that is sold across the country by the Royal British Legion or in the form of a shiny badge. However, it tends not to be seen as much outside of November. Russian shells destroyed at least five private houses in the village of Seredyna-Buda at around 12:30 p.m. local time, authorities in the Sumy region reported. Local media, quoting unnamed military intelligence officials, reported that several intelligence officials also appear to have been poisoned with "substances" that "are not used in everyday life or for military purposes and their presence may indicate a premeditated attempt to poison a concrete person."