The Polish government announced that it will not allow the Night Wolves biker club to ride through Poland on its way to Berlin for the 9 May celebrations.

According to Polish website 300Polityka, Interior Minister Teresa Piotrowska will make an announcement on Friday that local authorities will not allow the Russian bikers to travel on Polish roads

The reports came following a meeting called by Foreign Minster Grzegorz Schetyna to discuss the planned rally.

The leader of the Night Wolves biker club, Alexander “The Surgeon” Zaldostanov, is a close personal ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The rally through Poland was seen by foreign commentators as an attempt to recreate the march of the Red Army to Berlin following the defeat of Nazi Germany.

Update 16.00 CET:

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent the Russian Embassy in Warsaw a diplomatic note saying that it is refusing entry into Poland to the group of motorcyclists, who are representatives of the Night Wolves club,” the Ministry wrote in a statement on Friday.

The basis for this decision was the lack of precise information as regards to the schedule of the group's stay in Poland, trips and accurate itinerary of the members of the club.

This information was necessary to ensure the proper protection of the participants and the appropriate organisation of the event.

In addition, the Ministry received an official note on the rally from Russian Ministry less than a week before the scheduled start of the event. This, the statement said, was “too late”. (rg)