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Russian Defense Ministry denies involvement in Missouri ads

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MOSCOW, February 22 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday that it had nothing to do with billboards purportedly celebrating the Russian military, but in fact depicting the U.S. WWII battleship Missouri.

The billboards appeared on Moscow's streets ahead of a holiday to mark the foundation of the Red Army in 1918, Fatherland Defenders' Day.

"We are baffled by the Russian media's allegations that the Russian Defense Ministry may have ordered the advertisements," the ministry's press office said.

It said the embarrassing gaffe was due to incompetence on the part of the authors, rather than malice.

The Missouri was the venue for the signing of Japan's unconditional surrender on September 2, 1945, which marked an end to the Second World War.

Vladimir Makarov, the head of Moscow's advertising and information committee, confirmed that the billboards glorifying the Russian Armed Forces contained the pictures of the national flag, a Russian aircraft and a battleship which turned out to be the Missouri.

However, he said, the authors had intended to show a symbol rather than any specific ship. He added that the ship closely resembled a Russian cruiser.

"The Missouri does in fact glorify the Russian military," Makarov said referring to the Soviet Union's contribution to the allies' victory in the Second World War.

Nevertheless, he said all the billboards, about 20, would be removed.

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