Some 40 Offenses Against Soviet Monuments Recorded in Poland in 2018 – Official

WARSAW (Sputnik) – Nearly 40 offenses against Soviet-era monuments and war graves have been registered in Poland since the beginning of this year, Aleksey Fomichev, the head of the Russian Defense Ministry’s military commemorative mission in Poland, stated.

"Since the beginning of the year, we have registered 37 offenses in relation to monuments and war graves," Fomichev said.

The official added that five instances of vandalism against war graves had been registered and other five instances of vandalism against monuments had been recorded.

Moreover, 27 cases of the illegal dismantlement of monuments to Soviet soldiers had been registered, Fomichev pointed out.

There are currently no monuments commemorating Soviet soldiers in Warsaw, according to the official.

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In 2017, amendments to a so-called decommunization law stipulating the demolition of Soviet-era monuments in Poland and renaming the objects associated with the country's Communist past was introduced in Poland. Russia has criticized the legislation and condemned Polish actions.

According to Poland's Institute of National Remembrance, there are around 450 Soviet-era monuments across the country, including 230 Red Army monuments, which are subject to demolition under the law.