The victim of the explosion at the Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid is a citizen of Ukraine. This was reported by the agency Europa Press, citing sources in the Spanish police.
The diplomat was slightly injured in his right hand and independently sought medical attention at the Nuestra Señora de America hospital. The Ukrainian was hospitalized.
A law enforcement source told La Vanguardia that the improvised explosive device was in an envelope along with a letter addressed to the Ukrainian ambassador, Sergei Pogoreltsev.
The Ukrainian Ambassador said that it was the package, not the envelope, that exploded.
“The package did not have a return address on it, did not look like diplomatic mail, and this fact initially aroused suspicion among embassy staff,” the newspaper Strana reported.
The embassy employee who received the package delivered the package to the security guard who opened the box.
“So that no one would be around, he himself went out into the yard with this“ mail ”before he opened it. And as soon as I opened it, I heard something click there, I immediately threw it, and even then I heard an explosion, ”added Pogoreltsev.
The employee who opened the package, doctors noted not only a wound, but a serious concussion and various injuries to his hands.
The incident occurred around 13:00 local time (3:00 Moscow time), the embassy is located at Ronda de la Abubilla, 52, in the northeast of the city. Forensic experts, dog sitters and hunters from the TEDEX division work at the scene. The area near the embassy was cordoned off by the police and a local counter-terrorism regime stepped in.
Spanish authorities consider the explosion at the Ukrainian embassy an act of terrorism.
Kuleba’s order
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has instructed to urgently strengthen the security of all Ukrainian embassies.
After the Madrid bombing, Culeba turned to Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albarez for an investigation. Spanish law enforcement is currently working at the scene.
“Minister [Кулеба] Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko also emphasized on social networks that whoever is behind the organization of this explosion, Ukrainian diplomats cannot intimidate or stop their daily work to strengthen Ukraine and counter Russian aggression.
Attacks on Russian embassies
In 2022, after the Russian Armed Forces launched a special military operation in Ukraine, numerous Russian embassies in different countries of the world were attacked.
On February 26, unidentified persons attacked the Russian embassies in Poland and Ireland.
In Warsaw, they soaked a sign with the words “Embassy of the Russian Federation” with paint and also broke the glass by firing metal bullets at the windows of the building. In Dublin, during protests near the walls of the Russian embassy, demonstrators tore the coat of arms of the Russian Federation from the building and beat the car of a diplomatic mission employee.
In March, a truck entered the gates of the Russian Embassy in Ireland and its driver was arrested. In November, unidentified persons threw flares and Molotov cocktails at the Russian embassy grounds in Warsaw.