Moscow Opposes Moving Memorials to Fallen Soviet Soldiers to Russia

Moscow rejects proposals to bring to Russia post-WWII memorials to Soviet soldiers who fell abroad, mostly from Poland, a senior Russian diplomat said on Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Polish Institute of National Remembrance announced last March authorities planned to demolish about 500 monuments to Soviet Army soldiers. Moscow described it as a hostile policy and a disgrace to Poland.

"The Russian Foreign Ministry considers such proposals unreasonable since their implementation may set a negative precedent that will impact other monuments in Poland but also in other EU countries," Alexei Utkin, the deputy chief of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Consular Department said.

Speaking at a parliamentary meeting, the diplomat said proposals to move memorials to Russia came from Russian regional authorities, civic organizations and individual citizens.

Earlier, Russian Defense Ministry's official in charge of memorializing those fallen in defense of the homeland, Vladimir Popov, most cases of vandalism against Russia’s military burial sites over the past two years took place in Poland, with a total of 51 cases.