ATHENS — Russian Ambassador in Greece Andrey Maslov and Defense Attache Major General Aleksandr Prykhodko presented World War II veteran Constantine Kanakis with the medal of the Defense of Sevastopol in Athens on Tuesday.

In a statement, the embassy said, "He is now 97 years old, and he fought in the Soviet army against the fascist occupiers. In 1941, when he was 18 years old, he was drafted in the Soviet army and until March 1942 participated in the defense of Sevastopol as member of the 136th army regiment. Seventy-seven years later, the medal has been presented to its recipient."

The medal was awarded to Kanakis by the presidium of the USSR's Supreme Soviet in December 1942.

The ambassador and the attache congratulated the Greek hero for receiving a high military recognition of Russia, and expressed their best wishes to him.

В 1941 г. К.Г.Канаки в возрасте 18 лет был призван Севастопольским военкоматом и до марта 1942 г. участвовал в обороне Севастополя.

А.М.Маслов и Атташе по вопросам обороны генерал-майор А.С.Приходько тепло поздравили К.Г.Канаки, пожелали ему крепкого здоровья и благополучия. pic.twitter.com/A9kwolWwlj

— Rus Embassy, Greece (@RFEmbassyGr) November 17, 2020