Russia’s ambassador to Poland was doused in bright red paint by protesters Monday as he arrived at the Soviet Military Cemetery.
Sergey Andreev, the Russian ambassador to Poland, was doused with the fake blood liquid upon arriving at an event honoring Soviet World War II soldiers, according to The Washington Post. Andreev was there to lay flowers at the cemetery during celebrations for the victory over Nazi Germany.
One video was shared without audio by RIA Novosti, a Russian state-owned news company. Other videos posted with audio showed some protesters calling Russian officials “fascists” as others showed their support for Ukraine, according to The Post.
WATCH:
Дипмиссия заявит протест из-за нападения на посла России в Варшавеhttps://t.co/mpF9fAVgRR
— РИА Новости (@rianru) May 9, 2022
Russia’s Foreign Ministry condemned the protesters as “admirers of neo-Nazism” and accused the West of setting “a course for the reincarnation of fascism,” The Post reported. (RELATED: Biden To Travel To Europe For NATO Summit, Won’t Rule Out Meeting With Zelenskyy)
“The demolition of monuments to the heroes of World War II, the desecration of graves, and now the disruption of the flower-laying ceremony on a holy day for every decent person prove the already obvious — the West has set a course for the reincarnation of fascism,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on Telegram, according to The Post.
The incident coincides with Russia’s continued invasion of Ukraine. Russia began its invasion in February, with Russian President Vladimir Putin claiming at the time that his goal was to “demilitarize and de-Nazify” the country.