Russian Embassy sharply criticises Konev statue removal, promises retaliation

The Embassy of the Russian Federation in Prague says it considers the removal of the statue of Soviet Marshal Ivan Konev by Prague 6 municipal authorities to be in violation of the Czech-Russian Friendship Agreement from 1993 and has issued a protest to the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In a Facebook post, the embassy wrote that the Czech side thereby broke one of the provisions which state that the Czech Republic will protect Russian military memorials. The embassy went on to say that the "demolition of I. S. Konev's statue will be met with an adequate reaction from the Russian side". Prague 6 says it will now put the statue into storage after which it will be eventually moved into the capital's planned Museum of the 20th Century.