MOSCOW, December 7. /TASS/. Russian policemen handed over a German shepherd puppy to French colleagues on Monday to replace a police dog named Diesel killed in an anti-terror raid in Paris in early November.
The puppy named Dobrynya after a Russian folklore hero was handed to French Ambassador to Moscow Jean-Maurice Ripert.
"A series of terror attacks in Paris shocked the whole world," Russian Deputy Interior Minister Igor Zubov said at a ceremony held at the French Embassy in Moscow.
He said the Russian gift was widely seen "as the symbol of the unity of our nations in implacable fight against terrorism."
"The puppy you are giving us today will replace Diesel and proves your friendship. They are waiting for this puppy in Paris," the ambassador said, taking Dobrynya who was whining from excitement in the crowded embassy.
"It is a full-hearted gesture, only Russians are able to act in such way," he added.
A series of terror attacks rocked Paris on November 6 with shootings, bomb blasts and hostage taking. Hostages were taken at the Bataclan concert hall where 1,500 people gathered for a rock concert and almost simultaneously three suicide bombers blew themselves up next to the Stade de France stadium where a football match between French and German national teams was in the full swing. Besides, terrorists opened fire at people in popular nightlife spots - cafes, bars and restaurants crowded at that time. The death toll reached 1289; another 350 were injured.
Diesel, a seven-year old Belgian shepherd dog, was killed during the police raid on the apartment in St. Denis, where the alleged mastermind of terrorist attacks in Paris was hiding.