OREANDA-NEWS. May 8, 2009. The President congratulated veterans on the upcoming holiday, Victory Day.

The President recalled that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and noted that in total 13,000 people had been awarded this title, most of them - 11,695 people - for feats performed in the Great Patriotic War.

Veterans’ social problems, in particular issues of housing, transport, drugs and medical care were the subject of discussion.

The meeting touched on preparations for the 65th anniversary of Victory. Referring to the jubilee medal on the 65th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945, established by the executive order, Dmitry Medvedev stressed that it will be awarded not only to citizens of the Russian Federation who served in the war, but also to foreign citizens who fought in the Soviet Armed Forces, and in partisan detachments, underground groups and other anti-Nazi organisations that made a significant contribution to Victory in the Great Patriotic War.