Russia to Demand Penalties for Profanation of Soviet Army Monument in Sofia

The Russian government intends to formally request from Bulgarian authorities that they punish people who sprayed pink parts of the Soviet Army Monument in Sofia.

"The latest incident took place Wednesday. This is unfortunately far from being the first case of profanation of monuments of Soviet soldiers in Bulgaria," stated Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich.

"The authorities up to now have not reacted of our multiple expressions of concern regarding those acts of vandalism," added he as quoted by RIA Novosti.

Lukashevich further said that Russia will send formal letters to Bulgaria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and to the Sofia Town Hall.

He added that the Russian government will request Bulgarian authorities to take all measures needed to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents.

Wednesday the Soviet Army Monument woke up with one relief showing Red Army soldiers sprayed pink and the words "We are sorry" written in Czech and Bulgarian.

The action is apparently occasioned by the 45th anniversary of the invasion in Czechoslovakia of Soviet and other Warsaw Pact armies' detachments - including Bulgarian ones - to crush the so-called 'Prague Spring.'

The event, widely reported by international media, provoked both approval and criticism in Bulgaria.

The most popular similar incident occured June 2011, when a relief group at the monument was sprayed to appear as popular US comics characters, with the inscription 'In Pace with Time.'

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