Members of the Russian pro-Kremlin biker group
the Night Wolves have entered the EU covertly on a controversial
pilgrimage to Berlin to mark the end of World War Two. The
group which has been pictured several times with president Vladimir
Putin, wanted to re-enact the route of the Soviet Red Army's push
towards Germany in the war.
It is aiming to be in the German capital in time for Victory in Europe day, which in Russia is commemorated on 9 May. The planned route was intended to pass through Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Austria.
Russian news agency Itar-Tass reported
that they were refused entry to Poland but some had managed to get to
EU state Slovakia, which borders Ukraine, with its leader Andrei
Bobrovskiy telling the agency it would head toward the Czech Republic.
Polish broadcaster TVP Info quoted a biker who
said that a handful of the group were allowed in Poland because they
had German, Slovak and non-Russian passports.
On April 29, Poland's' Ambassador to Russia
Katarzyna Pelczynska-Nalecz was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry
over the refusal to allow the bikers into Poland.
The Night Wolves have close ties with
Putin and their leader Alexander Zaldostanov is reknowned for his strong
nationalist and anti-Western stance. The Night Wolves enjoy close ties to Russian President Vladmir Putin and have supported the Kremlin's annexation of Crimea.
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