Senior state officials and veterans of the Soviet Army today laid flowers at the memorial complex “Eternitate” (“Eternity”) on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the Iasi-Chisinau operation, which they call the operation to liberate Moldova from the fascist occupation, Info-Prim Neo reports. Neither President Vladimir Voronin nor other dignitaries delivered speeches. “I came to congratulate my colleagues. We fought to free Moldova from the fascist occupation and for the land that belongs to us. This land is ours and we should protect it,” said Vladimir Garbu, a war veteran. “It is a day when we should remember those that struggled to save our country so that we could live free on this piece of land. We brought them flowers in gratitude,” said another veteran, Petru Codreanu. The festivities dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the Iasi-Chisinau operation continued at the memorial complex "Serpeni Bridge Head", where there took place the bloodiest battles that resulted in thousands of deaths.