A mosque in Moscow was vandalized Monday, a reporter for the Kavpolit news site wrote on Twitter.
The mosque, at the city's Poklonnaya Gora war memorial park, had been spray-painted with obscene words and crude drawings of male genitalia and a Russian Orthodox cross, photos posted on Twitter showed.
Magomed Edilsultanov, the reporter who announced the vandalism, said on Twitter that police had been called to the scene and the graffiti had quickly been painted over.
It was unclear who the culprits were. There have been reports of attacks on mosques in France after last week's deadly Islamic extremist terrorist violence in Paris.
The Poklonnaya Gora park is home to a mosque, synagogue and church built to honor the Soviet soldiers of different faiths who fought side-by-side during World War II.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.