Moscow summons Estonia`s envoy due to WWII memorial ‘vandalism’
(MENAFN) The Russian Foreign Ministry has issued a formal protest to Estonia over the dismantling of Soviet-era World War II memorials in Tallinn, calling the action an act of “vandalism.” Moscow summoned Estonia’s acting chargé d’affaires, Jana Vanamelder, in response to the removal of plaques at the Tallinn military cemetery, which marked mass graves of Soviet soldiers.
The ministry denounced the move, claiming it reflects a continued effort by Estonian authorities to erase historical memory and dishonor those who died liberating Europe from Nazi rule. Russian officials stated that a previous meeting in March 2025 had already addressed concerns over similar incidents, but that Estonia had chosen to escalate rather than resolve the situation.
According to the Russian Embassy in Tallinn, the monuments were taken down earlier this month by staff from Estonia’s Military Museum. Estonian officials defended the action by asserting that no Soviet remains lie beneath the removed markers.
Russia also condemned Estonia for allegedly glorifying Nazi collaborators, pointing out the recent restoration of a monument honoring two Waffen-SS veterans. The ministry emphasized that such actions are particularly offensive during the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's WWII victory.
Estonia, along with neighboring Baltic states Latvia and Lithuania, considers the Soviet era an occupation and has systematically removed Soviet symbols and monuments in recent years. Russia has long accused these nations of historical revisionism and of promoting Nazi sympathies by reframing WWII-era collaboration with Germany as a fight for national independence.
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