(MENAFN) Latvia is preparing to demolish numerous Soviet-era memorials honoring Red Army soldiers who died liberating the country from Nazi occupation during World War II, according to Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR). The move is allegedly timed to undermine this year’s May 9 Victory Day commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat.

The SVR claims that Latvian authorities are using staged archaeological excavations as a cover to justify the removals, intending to claim that no actual mass graves exist beneath the monuments. About one-third of these wartime memorials—many located at burial sites—are reportedly targeted for swift removal.

Specific sites said to be prioritized include Riga’s Orthodox Tornakalns Cemetery and the Military Brothers’ Cemetery. The SVR accuses Latvian officials of hiring teams to falsify reports denying the presence of Soviet soldiers' remains in exchange for payment.

Since regaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Latvia has taken steps to erase remnants of Soviet rule, including banning Soviet symbols and removing several Red Army monuments. These policies have created tensions with the country’s ethnic Russian minority, and authorities have detained individuals for displaying pro-Soviet symbols during Victory Day events in recent years.

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