Russians lower Polish flag from Katyn cemetery – Protest from Poland

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More than 4,000 Polish prisoners of war are buried in the cemetery, which is managed by the Russian authorities.

Poland is to send a statement to Russia after the last removal of the Polish flag from Katyn Cemetery, commemorating the Polish soldiers who were killed by Soviet forces in 1940, the government announced today.

It is estimated that 22,000 soldiers and intellectuals were killed in Katyn, near Smolensk in western Russia, some of whom were transported by trucks from concentration camps, shot in the back of the head and thrown into mass graves.

After accusing her Nazi Germany for the Katyn massacre for decades, the Soviet Union admitted in April 1990 that its forces are responsible for the massacre, which casts a heavy shadow over Russia’s relations with Poland.

More than 4,000 Polish prisoners of war are buried in the cemetery, which is managed by the Russian authorities.

On Friday the mayor of Smolensk Andrei Borisov posted a photo with two masts – one carrying the Russian flag and the other empty with a ladder resting on it – saying the Polish flag had been removed.

“There can be no Polish flags on Russian monuments! … I believe that the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation has made the only right decision – to remove the Polish flag. Katyn is a Russian monument, it is the history of Russia”wrote Borisov.

The move escalates tensions in relations between the two countries following Poland’s leadership role against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“At the moment, a (diplomatic) announcement is being made, which will be submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Pridacs told Polish state radio today.

“We will try to intervene politically, but … I am not overly optimistic about the actions of the Russian side. The Russian side is rather aggressive in its foreign policy.”he added.

The Russian Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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