Russian President Vladimir Putin has attended commemorations for the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi forces in the battle of Stalingrad – a long and gruelling fight which resonates in the current conflict in Ukraine. Mr Putin laid a wreath at the eternal flame of the memorial complex to the fallen Red Army soldiers in Volgograd, the current name of the city, which stretches along the western bank of the Volga River. The memorial is dominated by a 279ft sculpture of a sword-wielding woman, Europe’s tallest statue. The Russian leader was set to speak at a memorial event...