Saturday, July 30 chaplains of Estonian Defence Forces laid wreaths at the Sinimäe Memorial and Red Army Soldiers´ monument in east Estonia to pay respects for all those fallen and injured in Sinimäe battle during the Second World War.
Defence Forces commemorate WWII fallen
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«With those wreaths we pay our respects to all soldiers fallen in Sinimäe and for those who lost the most precious that a human can have – their life,» Chaplain Captain Ott Aro said. «We also remember those who lost their home, family and future and were forced to travel the world,» he added.
The battle of Sinimäe took place between the Soviet Red Army and German Wehrmacht from July 25 to August 12 1944. It is considered to be the fiercest military confrontation ever on Estonian soil. It is estimated that over 2500 Estonian citizens, including civilians living in the area, lost their lives in the battle. The exact numbers of the fallen are not known.
Estonia was not involved in WWII as a sovereign state. Both Germany and Soviet Union conducted a mobilization mandatory for the citizens of Estonia to join the armed forces of either the Red Army or Wehrmacht. Both mobilizations disregarded the international laws and customs observed at that time.