Slovak Interior Minister condemns desecration of monument to Soviet soldiers

Slovak Interior Minister Matusz Shutay-Estok on Monday, May 5, condemned the act of vandalism against the monument to the soldiers of the Red Army in the village of Nova Boshaca in the west of the country.

"I personally will never forget who freed us. And I am convinced that the police will very quickly investigate this shameful act of vandalism," he wrote on his Facebook page (banned in Russia, owned by Meta Corporation, recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation).

The minister posted a photo showing that the monument was stained with paint and an offensive inscription was applied.

Shutay-Ashtok stressed that the heroes of the Second World War do not receive due respect due to some media and politicians who deliberately distort history to achieve political goals. He added that Soviet soldiers deserve respect and gratitude for liberating Slovakia and giving the inhabitants of the republic the opportunity to live in a free country.

"In Slovakia, the memory of Soviet soldiers is preserved very carefully"

Natalia Balanova, a member of the Coordinating Council of Russian Compatriots, speaks about historical memory, monument protection and cases of vandalism.

In Bulgaria, on May 2, unknown persons committed an act of vandalism against a monument to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. The vandals targeted a monument to Bulgarian underground fighters and Soviet submariners, the crew of the Shch—211 submarine, in the Kamchia area.