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Latvia demolishes Soviet monuments in most insulting way — Russian ambassador

On July 14, Latvia’s Cabinet of Ministers approved the dismantling of 69 military monuments dating back to the Soviet era

MOSCOW, August 24. /TASS/. The Latvian authorities are dismantling Soviet monuments and memorials dedicated to the Great Patriotic War in the most insulting way, Russia’s Ambassador to Latvia, Mikhail Vanin, said on the Rossiya-24 round-the-clock TV news channel on Wednesday.

"Unfortunately, comments by the local and central authorities sound something like this: ‘There will be good material for building roads. We will make good gravel from these monuments, from these memorials, which we will use for construction.’ They emphasizing once again that this is being done in the most offensive way for our country," he said.

On July 14, Latvia’s Cabinet of Ministers approved the dismantling of 69 military monuments dating back to the Soviet era, including the monument in Riga’s Victory Park, memorials dedicated to the soldiers of the Red Army in Liepaja, Rezekne and Daugavpils. On August 3, a monument to Soviet soldiers was dismantled in Riga’s Pardaugava district.

The demolition of monuments to the soldiers of the Red Army - the liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the Nazi invaders - began on August 23.

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Foreign policy Latvia

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