27.06 US Beats Russia in

BROOKLYN, New York, June 27 (By Maria Young for RIA Novosti) � New York City firefighters skated past a team of emergency responders from Moscow Wednesday night to win the third annual �Battles on Ice,� a fiercely competitive hockey game that organizers say is about far more than the final score.

�This is a fun game, an exciting game, but it will also definitely contribute to a positive dialogue between the countries,� said Russian Minister of Civil Defense Vladimir Puchkov, speaking through an interpreter in an interview with RIA Novosti.

�The friendship between first responders in both countries is always outside and beyond political relations, because ultimately our goals are saving lives,� he added shortly before the game began.