End of WWII Anniversary: Ukraine president marks VE Day on border with Russia

Ukraine's president marked the anniversary of the end of WWII in Europe on Saturday with a visit to a village in eastern Ukraine along the Russian border.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the village of Milovoe located in the Luhansk region, much of which has been under the control of Russia-backed separatists since 2014.

More than 14,000 people have been killed in the fighting between separatists and Ukrainian forces. Ukraine says 36 of its soldiers have died in rebel attacks this year.

Russia escalated tensions this spring with massive military exercises near the border.

At the memorial, demonstrators marked the war's end by unfurling a 300-meter brown-and-orange banner - the colors of the ribbon on the medal given to Soviet soldiers who served in WWII.