A campaign to desecrate the graves of Soviet soldiers in Lithuania. What is known

Summoning Lithuania's Charge d'affaires to the Russian Foreign Ministry

On June 1, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported that Lithuania's charge d'affaires in Russia, Yolanta Tubaite, had been summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry. The Russian side strongly protested against the plans of the Lithuanian authorities to eliminate the burial of Soviet soldiers and officers who died in the battles for the liberation of Lithuania from the Nazis.

The ongoing campaign

The ministry noted that the campaign to desecrate the remains of fallen soldiers continues to gain momentum. The Russian side stressed that such actions are criminally punishable both in Russia and abroad, and all those involved are known to Russian diplomats.

Historical context

Tubaite was summoned on April 30, and the Lithuanian side was asked to stop the destructive actions against the graves of the Red Army in 1944. During the meeting, it was also stressed that these actions are encouraged by the Lithuanian ruling elite, which, according to Russia, neglects the historical memory of the country's post-war history.

Assessment of the Russian Foreign Ministry

On April 8, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the desecration of the graves of Soviet soldiers in Lithuania barbaric. According to her, 53 soldiers of the Red Army are among the affected graves, including three Heroes of the Soviet Union and Major General Alexander Pomoshnikov.