Moscow sends Prague a protest note over vandalized war graves

Moscow has sent the Czech government a protest note over alleged vandalism of Russian war graves at the Olsany cemetery in Prague. A spokesman for the Russian embassy in Prague said that the bronze decorations on the graves of 48 World War Two Red Army soldiers had been removed, in what he said was the third case of vandalism of Russian war graves since May of this year. The embassy said it expected the offenders to be punished and the graves restored to their original state. The incident comes a few weeks after the Russian consulate denounced the removal of a hammer and sickle from a war memorial to Red Army soldiers in Brno.