KUBINKA. June 26 (Interfax) - Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said he hopes that State Duma deputies will back the bill on sanctions for demolishing and desecrating the monuments to defenders of the fatherland in other countries, which has been drafted by the Defense Ministry.
"This is a second attempt, I hope that it will be successful," Shoigu said in a speech opening conference on pressing issues of information impact, which was held during the 5th International Military-Technical Forum Army 2019.
"We should shift to absolutely concrete steps and concrete actions," along with the expert discussion of the issues related to distorting historical facts, and acts of vandalism, the defense minister said.
"With that in view, we have submitted the bill - I hope that it will be supported by our colleagues - which would imply the liability for destroying our monuments and falsifying the history. One should be held responsible for that," Shoigu said.
"Both a person who has made a decision, and a person who abetted to destroying the monument, but did not take any measures to protect it, should be held accountable," he said.
"At least, in accordance with our laws," Shoigu added. "These people should not be entitled to have any business in our country. They should be banned from travelling to our country. But if they have already arrived here, they should be sued for their actions in accordance with our laws," the defense minister said.
The bill, under which the Russian Defense Ministry suggests banning persons, who are involved in destroying the monuments to Russian military commanders and some landmark events in Russian history, and arresting their assets, was published on the federal portal of regulatory legal acts several days ago.
In another bill, which was also published on the federal portal of draft regulatory legal acts for public discussion, the Russian Defense Ministry proposed adding the clause on destroying war monuments to the Russian Criminal Code article on damaging the cultural heritage.
On June 2, Ukrainian nationalists broke down the bust of Soviet Marshall Georgy Zhukov, which was located not far from the Palace of Sports in Kharkiv. Several radicals placed the Ukrainian national flag on the pedestal, on which the bust has earlier been mounted.
Russia harshly reacted to the demolishment of the Monument to Zhukov in Kharkiv.