Vladimir Putin is not going to attend the funeral of Mikhail Gorbachev, his spokesman stated.(File)

Moscow:

Russian President Vladimir Putin is not going to attend the funeral of the final Soviet chief Mikhail Gorbachev, his spokesman stated on Thursday.

“The farewell ceremony and funeral will take place on September 3 but unfortunately the president’s work schedule will not allow him (to attend),” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov instructed reporters, including that Putin had paid his final respects to Gorbachev on the hospital the place he died on Tuesday, aged 91.

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