Comment by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova on the dismantling of a monument to Soviet submariners in Riga

Almost every week we receive news from Latvia about acts of vandalism towards monuments to Soviet soldiers who died fighting Nazism. These acts are proof that radical representatives of the Latvian governing coalition plan to destroy the Soviet memorials once and for all.

For example, several days ago a monument to Soviet submariners who died in the Baltic Sea during World War II was torn down.

We would like to note that this monument falls under the agreement between the Russian and Latvian governments dated April 30, 1994, on the social protection of Russian military pensioners and their families living in Latvia. According to article 13 of this agreement, the Latvian authorities promise to look after, maintain and preserve memorials in Latvia.

The Russian Embassy in Riga handed over a note of protest to the Latvian Foreign Ministry and demanded an explanation and that all the necessary measures be taken to investigate this crime, eliminate its consequences and bring all those responsible to justice.

It is clear that if such barbarity goes unpunished, it will aggravate the difficult relations between Russia and Latvia even more.