Germany Denies Entry to Russian Bikers on Victory Day Motocross

Germany reportedly refused to issue entry visas for top members of the Russian motorcycle club the Night Wolves, set to ride across Europe and reach Berlin on May 9.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Germany refused to issue entry visas for top members of the Russian motorcycle club the Night Wolves, set to ride across Europe and reach Berlin on May 9, Der Tagesspiegel reported citing sources in the German government.

The sources said on Saturday that the entry was closed to those club members who gained their visas after submitting false facts.

The move came after the Polish Foreign Ministry said on Friday it would ban the Russian bikers from entering country's territory. In response, Moscow claimed that the decision was politically motivated.

The Russian bikers, who travel across Europe to Berlin to mark the 70th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, set out on their journey on Saturday. Before the start of the ride, head of the club Alexander Zaldostanov said that the Night Wolves would not change the route despite Poland’s ban.

The Night Wolves are set to carry out two-week rally crossing through Minsk, Brest, Wroclaw, Brno, Bratislava, Vienna, Munich and Prague. The journey is to finish on May 9 in Berlin, where the bikers will lay flowers at the monument for Soviet soldiers in Treptow Park.