Mikhail Gorbachev funeral held in Moscow as Putin too busy to attend

Hundreds of mourners pay tribute in Russian capital to former Soviet leader credited with helping to end cold war

Russians paid their final respects to the last leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, in a ceremony held in Moscow without much fanfare and with President Vladimir Putin notably absent.

Several thousand mourners queued up to quietly file past Gorbachev's open casket as it was flanked by honour guards under the Russian flag in the historic Hall of Columns.