Moscow demands Warsaw's apologies for attacking Russian ambassador

Polish Ambassador Krzysztof Krajewski was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday and informed that Moscow is waiting for an official apology from the Polish authorities in connection with the May 9 attack on Russian Ambassador in Warsaw Sergei Andreev.

"Kraevsky was told that the Russian side is expecting an official apology from the leadership of Poland in connection with what happened and demands to ensure the safety of the Russian ambassador and all employees of Russian foreign missions in Poland," the Russian diplomatic service said in a statement.

The Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that Moscow's decision "on further steps will be taken depending on Warsaw's reaction" to its demands.

The ministry pointed out that the Polish side grossly violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

"Poland has not fulfilled one of the main obligations following from it - it has not ensured the immunity of Russian diplomats," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Russian Ambassador to Poland Sergei Andreev on Monday arrived at the military memorial cemetery of Soviet soldiers on Žwirki and Wigura Street in Warsaw in a diplomatic car with a Russian flag.

After getting out of the car, he was surrounded by an aggressive crowd that had previously gathered at this memorial site with Ukrainian flags, red-painted sheets and anti-Russian slogans. The police were not on the square at the time. The diplomats were able to take several dozen steps, but the crowd did not allow them to go any further.

For several minutes, the diplomats were shouted at and packages with a red substance were thrown at them. As the ambassador said later on the air of the Rossiya-24 TV channel, the diplomats were doused with syrup. After some time, the police pushed back the crowd and escorted the diplomats to their cars. None of them were seriously injured.