Russia's ambassador to Poland doused in red paint by protesters at Victory Day ceremony

Critics of Russia's war in Ukraine chanted 'fascists' at an event to remember Russian soldiers

Russia's ambassador to Poland, Siergiej Andriejew, was doused as he marked Victory Day at a cemetery. EPA

Protesters doused Russia’s ambassador to Poland with red paint as he tried to lay flowers at a monument in Warsaw on Victory Day.

Sergey Andreyev was drenched in the paint, which symbolised the blood spilt in Ukraine since Russia invaded on February 24.

Opponents of Russia’s war targeted him after he arrived at the cemetery-mausoleum of Soviet soldiers in the Polish capital to mark the holiday, which was celebrated with pomp in a parade at Red Square in Moscow.

After arriving at the site, the diplomat was surrounded by demonstrators waving Ukrainian flags and chanting "fascist" and "murderer".

While posing next to a floral wreath, Mr Andreyev was approached by a man and a woman wearing white shirts covered in what appeared to be red paint. They threw the liquid over his head and shoulders, also splashing it on a member of his team.

The diplomat, 64, could be seen wiping the paint from his eyes as he was surrounded by demonstrators, some with their fists raised into the air.

The protesters prevented the ambassador and others from laying their flowers at the cemetery.

"I am proud of my president," he said at the cemetery.

Police arrived at the scene to help the ambassador and other members of his delegation escape.

Protesters also marched in Warsaw against the war in Ukraine, bringing a tank on a tractor and parking it in front of the Russian embassy on Sunday evening. Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, images of Ukrainian tractors hauling off Russian tanks have been symbols of Ukrainian resistance.

The Soviet cemetery is set amid a vast park on the route linking downtown to the international airport. It is the final resting place of more than 20,000 Red Army soldiers who perished fighting while helping to defeat Nazi Germany.

While Poland has removed some monuments to the Red Army in the years after it threw off Moscow-backed communist rule, it has allowed the cemetery to remain undisturbed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed crowds at a military parade in Moscow's Red Square to mark the 77th Victory Day.

The Russian leaders used his much-anticipated speech to hail troops fighting in Ukraine, telling them they are "fighting for your motherland, its future".