Protesters prevent Russian ambassador from laying wreath at Soviet Military Cemetery

According to tvnwarszawa.pl reporter Tomasz Zieliński, ambassador Andreev arrived at the Soviet Military Cemetery in Warsaw before 11 a.m. with an intention to lay a wreath. On May 9 Russians celebrate the Victory Day marking the anniversary of defeating Nazi Germany in WWII. The cemetery is one of Warsaw's memorial sites dedicated to that events.

"The laying of the wreath did not take place. The people gathered there did not let him through to the monument. Shortly after the ambassador left the cemetery in a car," Tomasz Zieliński reported.

Earlier on, two men had shown up at the cemetery. The were ID'd by the police and, under their escort, managed to lay flowers at hte monument. One of the men wore a Ribbon of Saint George lapel pin - a Russian military sign understood in Ukraine as a symbol of Russian nationalism and separatism.

On Tuesday morning, activists from "Euromaidan-Warszawa" social initiative set up an artistic installation at the cemetery, depicting the result of Russian crimes committed in Ukraine.

The installation shows, in a symbolic way, the damaged streets of Mariupol, Bucha, Irpin, or Kherson. The crosses commemorate the people of Ukraine fallen in the war.

The activists said they would keep the installation at the cemetery until the end of the day.

Last year on May 9, the Russian Embassy at first informed it would not celebrate the Victory Day anniversary in order not to "put the attendees at risk". Ambassador Sergey Andreey, however, decided he would visit the Soviet Military Cemetery and lay a wreath. When he showed up at the memorial, the protesters doused him in red liquid substance.

There were also minor scuffles. Someone had also written "Kill Putin" at one of the pillars.

Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement in relation to the incident involving the Russian ambassador.

"The situation which happened today when the Ambassador of the Russian Federation was laying wreaths at the Soviet Military Cemetery was a reprehensible incident and should not have taken place," the MFA said in the statement published on its website.

"Diplomats are under special protection, regardless of the politics pursued by their governments," the ministry underscored.

On 5 May, ambassador Andreev was summoned to by the Polish MFA.

"The representative of the Russian Federation was handed a note of protest regarding the statement by the Russian Federation’s former commissioner for children’s rights Pavel Astakhov calling for the murder of the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Moscow," the MFA said in a statement.

"The Polish side protested firmly against this situation and urged that criminal proceedings be instituted immediately and the perpetrator be punished without delay," we read.