Russia Lodges Protest with Finnish Ambassador Over Flag Burning Incident Near Embassy

"The Russian side emphasized that it considers the incident a blatant and blasphemous act against the state symbol of Russia," the Russian Foreign Ministry added

© Mikhail Tereshchenko/TASS

MOSCOW, February 27. /TASS/. Finnish Ambassador to Russia Marja Liivala was summoned to Russia's Foreign Ministry to face a resolute protest over the recent burning of the Russian flag in front of the Russian embassy building in Helsinki, the diplomatic agency said in a statement.

"A resolute protest was lodged with the head of the Finnish diplomatic mission over a provocation that took place in front of the building of the Russian embassy in Finland on February 24 when unidentified people burned the state flag of the Russian Federation," the statement reads.

"The Russian side emphasized that it considers the incident a blatant and blasphemous act against the state symbol of Russia," the Russian Foreign Ministry added.