VIENNA, February 25. /TASS/. The Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the OSCE has condemned the destruction of a monument to Soviet liberators of WWII in the Latvian city of Jekabpils.

"We condemn another stunt of Latvian nationalists - the destruction on 24 February of monument to Soviet heroes-liberators of #WWII in the Latvian city of #Jekabpils. We call on authorities to properly investigate the incident & bring those responsible to justice," the Russian mission said on Twitter.

It was reported on Wednesday that a cannon located on the monument had disappeared. The local police department informed that criminal proceedings had been launched over the theft of a cannon from the Monument to Soviet Heroes-Liberators of WWII in Jekabpils.

The Monument to Soviet Heroes-Liberators of WWII was built in 1973-1976 and unveiled on November 7, 1976. The monument includes a bas-relief showing the map of the fighting that took place in the city, 10 granite poles in honor of the military units involved in the liberation of the city and the nine Heroes of the Soviet Union. A mass grave is located nearby, where the monument with the cannon was placed.