German Embassy issues apology for distorting Soviet flag
(MENAFN) The German Embassy in Moscow has issued an apology after publishing a map that inaccurately depicted the Soviet flag in a way that resembled Nazi symbolism. The image, shared on the embassy’s Telegram channel, drew sharp criticism from the Russian Foreign Ministry and was promptly removed.
The post, published Tuesday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Germany’s division after World War II, featured a map of Allied occupation zones. While the British, American, and French flags were shown correctly, the Soviet Union was represented by a red flag with a white circle containing a hammer and sickle — a design closely resembling the Nazi flag, which bore a black swastika in a similar format.
The actual Soviet flag consisted of a gold hammer and sickle in the upper left corner of a red background. The embassy explained that the image was based on a historical map containing inaccurate symbols and was not intended to offend. The post was later updated with a photo of the museum in Berlin’s Karlshorst, where Nazi Germany’s surrender was signed.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned the incident, calling it either a sign of employee incompetence or an intentional — and illegal under Russian law — attempt to equate the USSR with Nazi Germany. She also speculated that the embassy’s social media could be managed by outsourced personnel, possibly Ukrainians, hinting at political motives.
Tensions between Russia and Germany have been rising, particularly over Berlin’s military support for Ukraine. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has advocated for supplying long-range weapons to Kiev without restrictions, including for use on Russian territory. In May, Germany pledged €5 billion to boost Ukrainian arms production.
In response, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov accused Germany of escalating the conflict and competing with France in provoking war. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov added that Berlin is “repeating the dangerous path it followed in the past,” warning it could lead to its own downfall.
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