A giant statue of "Mother of the Homeland" is seen atop the memorial site on Mamayev Hill illuminated for the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory at the Battle of Stalingrad in the southern city of Volgograd, Russia, February 1, 2023. /CFP
Commemorations are underway to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory at the Battle of Stalingrad, one of the bloodiest in World War II.
The Battle of Stalingrad, which lasted more than six months, ended with the surrender of German troops on February 2, 1943, after it had claimed more than a million lives.