Putin won't attend Gorbachev's funeral – Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin paid his last respects to Mikhail Gorbachev on Thursday, as he will not be able to attend the official farewell ceremony later this week, the Kremlin has said. 

Speaking to journalists during a press call, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov explained that the president will be unable to attend the September 3 funeral for the former Soviet leader due to a tight schedule.

He stated that Putin personally paid his last respects to Gorbachev on Thursday by visiting the Central Clinical Hospital in Moscow, where the former leader’s body is currently being held.

Peskov added that Gorbachev’s funeral will be carried out in part as a state funeral, meaning that there will be a guard of honor and the state will assist in organizing the farewell ceremony on Saturday.

Mikhail Gorbachev passed away at the age of 91 on Tuesday. He was the last leader of the Soviet Union and his tenure saw the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of the Cold War, and the subsequent breakup of the USSR.

He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990.