Russia's Ambassador to Poland Splattered With Red Paint

Protesters threw what appeared to be red paint at Russia's ambassador to Poland on Monday May 9, 2022, as the diplomat was making a trip to a Warsaw cemetery for Soviet soldiers killed during World War II.

The ambassador, Sergey Andreev, made the trip on Victory Day, which celebrates the Allies' and Soviet Union's defeat of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany. Hundreds of people protesting Russia's invasion of Ukraine were waiting for the ambassador at the cemetery, blocking him and others from entering.

As the Russian ambassador attempted to enter and lay flowers at the cemetery protesters chanted "fascist" and "murderer" at him, then threw a red paint-like substance at him that made it appear as if he was covered in blood.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has killed thousands of civilians and forced approximately 6 million refugees to flee Ukraine in what the United Nations dubbed as the fastest growing refugee crisis since World War II.

Evidence of war crimes including the murder, rape and torture of civilians committed by Russian forces have emerged in areas of Ukraine occupied by Russian forces. United States President Joe Biden has publicly stated Russia is committing a genocide in Ukraine, and other global leaders from countries such as Germany, Japan, Italy and other EU members have condemned Russia's war as an unprovoked invasion of a sovereign country.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his Victory Day speech held in Moscow that the invasion of Ukraine was "necessary, timely and the only right solution" in the face of what he described as Western threats to Russia's safety.

Despite the fact that Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is Jewish, Putin has repeatedly said one of Russia's goals is to "de-nazify" Ukraine.