Demonstrators in Warsaw on Monday threw red paint at the Russian Ambassador, preventing him from placing flowers at a cemetery for Soviet soldiers in Poland.
As he arrived at the Soviet Military Cemetery in the Polish capital, Sergey Andreev was met by hundreds of activists opposed to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Red paint was thrown from behind at him before a protester standing beside him threw a big blob of it in his face.
The protesters carried Ukrainian flags and chanted “fascists” and “murderers” at him, while some were dressed in white sheets smeared with red, symbolizing the Ukrainian victims of Russia’s war. Other people in his entourage were also seen splattered with what appeared to be red paint.
The Russian delegation was forced to leave the area, accompanied by police officers.
The Russian ambassador to Poland was attacked as he tried to lay a wreath at the Soviet soldiers' cemetery in Warsaw. pic.twitter.com/FFtBzuRITW
— RadioGenova (@RadioGenova) May 9, 2022
May 9 is a holiday in Russia marking the anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
It was constructed years after the end of the war and the remains of more than 20,000 soldiers who died between 1944 and 1945 were buried there.
Poland has taken in more than 3.2 million refugees from Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion on February 24.
