Russian ambassador left red-faced after being attacked with paint by crowd shouting ‘fascist’

It comes as Russia celebrates Victory Day

The Russian ambassador to Poland has been attacked with red paint by a crowd who shouted "fascist" at him. Sergey Andreyev was attending an event honouring Soviet soldiers killed during World War Two as Russia celebrates Victory Day to commemorate its victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. Andreyev was reportedly trying to lay a wreath at the Mausoleum of Soviet Soldiers in Warsaw. But he was left covered in red paint by the angry crowd surrounding him who were protesting against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Footage of the incident was shared on Twitter by user @Exen. https://twitter.com/Exen/status/1523608407114399750 Other clips online show the aftermath, with Andreyev stood in front of cameras humiliated. https://twitter.com/AnonOpsSE/status/1523608789559222273 Poland has been at the forefront of efforts to help Ukrainians fleeing their country following Putin's invasion. Many protestors were waving Ukraine flags to show their support for the war-torn country. In a television address to his country on Victory Day, Putin said that Russia had invaded Ukraine because the west was "preparing for an invasion of our country." He said: "Nato is actively pursuing our territory. That is absolutely unacceptable to us." The Russian president repeated unfounded claims that troops were fighting against neo-Nazis in Ukraine. "We are talking about neo-Nazis in Ukraine that the US and its partners are working with," he alleged. "Ukraine is receiving the most modern weaponry from Nato. The decision for this special military operation was forced and was the only correct decision." https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1523569460979945474 His words come as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warns that "evil has been reborn" in Europe 77 years after the defeat of Nazi Germany. These sentiments were echoed by defense secretary Ben Wallace who said that Russia is "mirroring the fascism and tyranny of 70 years ago, repeating the errors of last century's totalitarian regimes." https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1523587535280259079 Victory Day is hugely symbolic for Russia. An estimated 27,000,000 Soviet citizens died in World War Two, which is known as the Great Patriotic War in Russia. Under Putin, the day has become an opportunity for Russia to show its military strength and a massive parade involving troops and military hardware takes place through Red Square in Moscow every year. Related links:

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