In Bangui, the Central African Republic, the head of the Russian House, Dmitry Syty, sustained serious injuries on December 16 after an anonymous package detonated. A representative of the Russian embassy described the incident to TASS, noting that Syty was immediately hospitalized and that doctors were monitoring his condition closely.
According to the embassy, the injuries were described as serious but not life-threatening. Medical staff reported a crush injury and significant blood loss, though they did not disclose further details about the progression of the patient’s condition as the treatment continued.
The Russian House sits opposite the Russian Embassy in Bangui, and officials view the incident as an attempted attack on a diplomatic facility. There are conflicting claims about the source of the package. A report from Lome suggested the explosive parcel originated in the Togolese capital and was directed at Dmitry Syty, with a photo of the parcel allegedly provided by the agency involved. A person named Alex Sevillano Mingueza was identified as the sender in that account.
Following the blast, security at the Russian Embassy in Bangui was heightened, with officials confirming that appropriate precautions were being taken on the premises. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov stated that Moscow does not intend to shutter the cultural center.
Local authorities are treating the incident as a possible terrorist act, with Bangui police reportedly assessing it as an act of terrorism. Russian state media quoted officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Rossotrudnichestvo, who described the event as a terrorist attack against the joint Russian cultural presence in the city. Doctors and hospital staff have been cited as fighting to stabilize Syty’s condition as details continue to emerge. A note from Evgeny Primakov, head of Rossotrudnichestvo, expressed prayers for Syty’s survival.
Russian officials publicly condemned the attack, characterizing it as a criminal strike aimed at hindering the Russian House’s activities in Bangui and potentially damaging the broader cooperative ties between Russia and the Central African Republic. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia called on the CAR authorities to locate those responsible and ensure they face justice. The statements reflected a desire to see accountability and continued partnership between the two nations.
Businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin separately claimed that Syty had previously faced threats. He recounted a November 11 incident in which Syty sent a photo of his son living in France, accompanied by a message implying danger should Russians depart the African continent or fail to secure access points. Prigozhin further alleged that France had petitioned the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to classify France and its Western allies, including the United States, as supporters of terrorism and to conduct a broader inquiry into those alleged tactics.