Ankara: Russia on Monday lodged a protest with Poland over the dismantling of a monument in the northwestern city of Pyrzyce dedicated to Soviet soldiers who died in World War II.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Russian Embassy in Poland called the move a "sacrilegious act" that violates the two countries' Feb. 22, 1994 agreement on the protection of war graves and memorial sites for victims of wars and repression. The Embassy emphasized that such actions are seen as attempts to distort history and erase the memory of Soviet soldiers' heroism from the Polish consciousness.

The monument, initially dedicated to Soviet-Polish military brotherhood, was dismantled on July 31 following a decision by local authorities. Originally erected in 1984, the structure was renamed the Memorial Monument in the 1990s by city authorities.