Video: Final Farewell to Gorbachev as Putin Lays Flowers

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Central Clinical Hospital to pay his respects to Mikhail Gorbachev, the first and last president of the USSR. According to his press secretary Dmitry Peskov, the president will not be able to attend the farewell ceremony scheduled for September 3 due to prior commitments.

“We know that the farewell ceremony will take place on September 3. Unfortunately, the president's busy work schedule will not allow him to participate on that day, so he decided to do this today,” Peskov said at a press conference.

Peskov also added that there will be an honor guard present at the farewell ceremony. Mikhail Gorbachev passed away on August 30 after a prolonged illness. Earlier, Gorbachev's daughter Irina announced that his funeral would take place on September 3 at the Novodevichy Cemetery.