DISINFO: Monuments to Soviet soldiers are massively demolished and damaged in Ukraine, Poland and Baltic countries
SUMMARY
Neo-Nazism is becoming more popular in Ukraine, Poland, the Baltic countries. As a consequence, monuments of the Red Army soldiers, who once defeated fascism, are being massively demolished there.
RESPONSE
A recurring pro-Kremlin narrative casting Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic States as Nazi countries paying no respect to the history of WWII and its heroes.
It's true that more than 2,500 monuments to the leaders of the communist totalitarian regime were dismantled in Ukraine alone during the decommunisation process. However, the vast majority of these were monuments to Lenin. Ukrainian laws that control the decommunisation process, actually provide for the protection and preservation of monuments and commemorative signs which are dedicated to the participants and victims of World War II 1939-1945.
In Poland, the process of dismantling Soviet war monuments was accelerated by an amended “decommunisation” law, which came into force in October 2017. It allows for the removal of up to 230 Soviet war monuments by local authorities within a year (after which remaining decisions will be made at regional level).
As for Estonia, there is no "massive demolition" of monuments, and thus the disinformation narrative is groundless.