The Investigative Committee of Russia (Sledkom) has launched criminal proceedings concerning the recent defacing of the Slavin military monument in Bratislava. This was partially painted blue and yellow - the colours of the Ukrainian flag - by an unknown perpetrator(s) in early March. According to Sledkom, "these actions were directed against the interests of Russia in the field of preserving the historical memory of the USSR's efforts during the Second World War and its decisive role in the victory over fascism". The memorial serves as a burial site for 6,845 Soviet soldiers who died trying to liberate Slovakia from the control of Nazi Germany in World War II. While the Slovak police have also initiated criminal proceedings of their own in the same case in the meantime, the Bratislava borough of Stare Mesto, in which the memorial is located, noted in this regard that the majority of the fallen soldiers buried at Slavin were of Ukrainian origin. The paint was removed from the monument on March 9.
Source: TASR
