Polish authorities yesterday said they will not allow a nationalistic Russian motorcycle group loyal to President Vladimir Putin to enter Poland but insisted the move is not political and was made in part because Polish authorities would not be able to guarantee their security.

The Night Wolves group had planned to enter Poland next week to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Their plan was to cross several countries on their way to Berlin, following a path taken by the Red Army in its defeat of Adolf Hitler’s Germany.

Many Poles reacted angrily to the plan for the symbolic drive through their country at a time of deep strains between Russia and the West. Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz recently called it a “provocation”.

This is an obvious lie

The Foreign Ministry in Warsaw said that it was refusing to let the bikers enter Poland because it did not receive precise information from them about their route and schedule, information “necessary to ensure proper security for the participants.”

The ministry said it also received information about the group’s plans too late. The decision was relayed to the Russian Embassy in Warsaw in a diplomatic note yesterday.

Ministry spokesman Marcin Wojciechowski insisted that the decision was not politically motivated.

The Russian Foreign Ministry later issued a statement saying: “The authorities spoiled this memorial action under the far-fetched pretext of ‘presenting late and insufficient information’. This is an obvious lie.”

Night Wolves leader Alexander Zaldostanov, known as ‘The Surgeon’, was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying the run would begin as planned today.