“The crime will not go unanswered”: Moscow about barbarism in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu appealed to the Czech authorities to hand over to Russia the monument to Marshal Ivan Konev, which was demolished by Prague authorities the day before.
Moscow is ready to shoulder the financial costs, Shoigu emphasized, as reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“The skilfully carried out military operation to liberate Prague from the Nazis in 1945 saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of Czechs and freed millions of your fellow citizens from the Nazi yoke.
Our country paid a huge price for the liberation of Europe from Nazism. During the Prague strategic operation alone, more than 50 thousand of our fathers and grandfathers, who fought for the freedom and independence of the Czech people, were killed or wounded.
We cannot remain indifferent to the removal of the monument to Marshal Ivan Konev. I ask you to hand over the monument to the Russian Federation as soon as possible. We expect information from you about the place and time of its transfer. If solving this problem requires financial expenses, we are ready to pay them in full,” the minister’s letter says.
In turn, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called the removal of the monument to Marshal Konev "monstrous barbarity." She also mentioned the desecration of a monument at a Soviet soldiers' grave in Bulgaria.
“I cannot help but say what excited the Russian public, and it is right that the Russian public did not mince words when news came about the dismantling of the monument to Marshal Konev in Prague. The municipal authorities of the Prague 6 region took an unprecedented step in its barbarity, dismantling the monument to Marshal of the Soviet Union Konev, erected in 1980 on the initiative of the residents of Prague themselves, under whose command the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front liberated the Czech capital from the Nazi occupiers in May 1945. This act of political vandalism was especially egregious on the eve of the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, which ended in Prague with the Red Army in the European theater of operations,” Zakharova said.
“It is puzzling to see the helplessness of the central authorities, who were simply unable to pull the plug on municipal officials and stop this mocking activity in violation of the country’s international obligations. The crime committed in Prague has the potential to become a long-term irritant to our bilateral relations and, without a doubt, will not go unanswered.
When I said the word “crime,” of course, it has a political assessment, but I have no doubt that this action will also be assessed from a legal point of view.
As for the reaction, they announced it to the Czech Ambassador in Moscow, calling on Prague to comply with the provisions of the bilateral treaty on friendly relations and cooperation of 1993 regarding the preservation of military monuments and to stop provocative actions,” added the Foreign Ministry representative.
A similar case occurred in Bulgaria.
“Another act of vandalism, we are talking about committing the same action against the mass grave of Soviet soldiers in the Dobrich city park. Our embassy in Bulgaria expressed its outrage at this blasphemous act. We are not just talking about a memorial in honor, we are talking about a mass grave of Soviet soldiers in a city park. This mockery of the memory of the soldiers who gave their lives for the liberation of Europe and the world from the fascist plague looks simply monstrous in general... You cannot mock the graves of people who voluntarily gave their lives so that humanity could have a future,” emphasized Maria Zakharova .
“We expect that the city authorities will take the necessary measures to bring the monument into proper shape and prevent similar manifestations in the future, and those responsible for committing this crime will be identified and will receive the deserved punishment,” added the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
English version :: Read in English : "The Crime Will Not Go Unanswered": Moscow on the Barbarity in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria