Ukraine honors victims of World War II

Ukraine on Wednesday honored soldiers and civilians who died at World War II with its annual Remembrance and Reconciliation Day on Wednesday. In his national address, President Viktor Yanukovych urged people to honor victims of the war and step up efforts to preserve peace in the world. "Global problems of humanity should be resolved only by peaceful means," Yanukovych said. He pledged Ukraine would continue its active participation in prevention of international armed conflicts. Commemoration ceremonies to mark the event are being held across the country. After Germany's invasion of the former Soviet Union in 1941, an estimated 20 million Soviet Union soldiers and civilians, including at least 5.3 million Ukrainians, died in the four-year war.