Putin’s "Night Wolves" in Prague

The "Night Wolves", a Russian motorcycle club known for its staunch nationalism and close ties to Vladimir Putin, who have been making appearances in a number of Czech and Moravian towns and cities in connection with the end-of-war celebrations arrived in Prague on Monday.

At Prague’s Olšany Cemetary they were greeted by groups of supporters and opponents who eventually got into a skirmish. Two men were briefly detained by the police.

The Russian bikers’ presence in the country is highly controversial. They claim they are paying homage to Red Army soldiers who died liberating Czechoslovakia, but critics see their rides as politically provocative and Russian propaganda.