Russian leader attends memorial for assassinated envoy Karlov

Senior Russian leaders attended a memorial for Andrey Karlov, Russia's assassinated ambassador to Turkey, at the country's Foreign Ministry in Moscow on Dec. 22.
        
Karlov's family, President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and ministry staff all attended the event.

A service is to be conducted later by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia to be held in the capital's Cathedral of Christ the Savior.    
    
Karlov was killed on Dec. 19 after being shot multiple times at an art exhibition in the Turkish capital of Ankara. 
He was delivering a speech when his assailant, 22-year-old Turkish policeman Mevlüt Mert Altıntaş, opened fire.        
Putin postponed a major annual news conference to attend the ceremony.  
     
He also signed an executive order awarding Karlov the title of Hero of the Russian Federation, the Kremlin said in a statement on Dec. 21.