“It turned out an interesting detail. Ondrej Kolář’s father held various posts in the Czech Foreign Ministry, was ambassador to the United States and Russia. He now serves as a senior adviser to the American consulting company Squire Patton Boggs, which was preparing an opinion to justify the dismantling of the monument. This is such a family contract, ”he said during an online meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna.

Lukashevich added that the instigators of the demolition of the monument took advantage of the coronavirus epidemic to carry out the dismantling.

“This is confirmed by the mocking commentary by the initiator of the demolition of the monument - the headman of the district of Ondrzej Kolarz. Say, Ivan Stepanovich Konev “did not have a mask. The rules are the same for everyone. You can only go out wearing a mask, ”the Russian diplomat added. His words are quoted by TASS.

On April 3, a monument to Marshal Konev was dismantled in Prague. The Russian Foreign Ministry promised that this would not remain unanswered.

In connection with the incident, the Investigative Committee of Russia opened a criminal case on the grounds of "desecration of the symbols of Russia's military glory, committed publicly."

In turn, the Czech Foreign Ministry said that "the movement of the monument is not a violation of any of the existing international treaties between the Czech Republic and Russia."

They added that if the Czech Republic moves the monument to Marshal to another “worthy place”, for example, to the Museum of the 20th century, which is planned to be created in Prague, this will not be a violation of the 1996 Agreement on Friendly Relations with Russia.

According to Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov, according to some sources, the American company Squire Patton Boggs prepared a report justifying the decision to demolish the monument to Soviet Marshal Ivan Konev in Prague.

No one responded to requests from Russian diplomats at the company's office in Washington.