Ukraine steps up security at embassies after letter bombs found in Spain | 24CA News
Bomb disposal specialists defused a letter bomb on the U.S. Embassy in Madrid on Thursday, the sixth such system despatched to high-profile targets in a wave that prompted Spain to step up safety and vow to not be deterred from supporting Ukraine.
The marketing campaign started with a bundle despatched to Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Nov. 24, spurring Madrid to tighten safety round public buildings. Since Wednesday, related gadgets had been additionally despatched to the defence ministry, an air pressure base, a weapons producer and the Ukrainian embassy — the place a safety officer was barely injured.
Defence Minister Margarita Robles, who was visiting the Ukrainian port metropolis of Odesa on Thursday and met her Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov, mentioned the letter bombs wouldn’t deter Spain from supporting Ukraine’s “just cause.”
“What must be very clear is that none of these deliveries or any other violent action will change the clear and firm commitment of Spain, NATO countries and the European Union to support Ukraine,” she mentioned.
The newest bundle was intercepted on the U.S. Embassy by safety officers and was later detonated in a managed explosion by Spanish police.
On Wednesday, a bundle addressed to the Ukrainian ambassador to Spain detonated on the nation’s embassy as a safety official investigated it, inflicting minor accidents to his fingers and a concussion. Security has now been stepped up round embassies as nicely.
Later the identical day, the headquarters of Spanish weapons producer Instalaza in Zaragoza, in northeastern Spain, obtained one of many suspicious packages, police mentioned. Instalaza manufactures the C90 rocket launcher that Spain has provided to Ukraine.
A fifth system was obtained at Spain’s Defence Ministry on Thursday morning and defused by specialist cops, a defence ministry spokesperson instructed Reuters.
Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles earlier this month mentioned the nation would ship six HAWK air defence techniques to Ukraine to assist it repel Russia’s invasion and shield its battered infrastructure. Spain has additionally taken in tens of hundreds of Ukrainians who’ve fled their nation.
Russian embassy reacts
Ukraine’s ambassador to Spain, Serhii Pohoreltsev, appeared responsible Russia.
“We have instructions from the ministry in Ukraine that given the situation we have to be prepared for any kind of incident… Russian activities outside the country,” he instructed Spanish tv station TVE on Wednesday.
On Thursday, the Twitter account of the Russian Embassy in Spain posted a press release condemning “any threat or terrorist act” in relation to the 5 letter bombs, “particularly directed at a diplomatic mission.”
A supply near the investigation instructed Reuters that the gadgets despatched to the prime minister’s workplace, the Ukrainian Embassy, the air base and the arms producer had been in related brown envelopes and addressed to the heads of every establishment.
They contained unfastened gunpowder with {an electrical} ignition mechanism that might make the powder burn, quite than explode, the supply mentioned.
Spain’s Correos postal service has been requested to collaborate in a pre-screening of all related envelopes, the supply mentioned.
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Spain’s High Court that makes a speciality of terrorism has opened an investigation, a judicial supply mentioned.
The system despatched to the Ukrainian Embassy was obtained round lunchtime on Wednesday and exploded when it was opened by a safety official.
Ambassador Serhii Pohoreltsev instructed the Ukrainian news website European Pravda that the suspicious bundle addressed to him was handed to the embassy’s Ukrainian commandant, who took it exterior to open.
“After opening the box and hearing a click that followed, he tossed it and then heard the explosion.… Despite not holding the box at the time of the explosion, the commandant hurt his hands and received a concussion,” Pohoreltsev was quoted as saying.
Spanish safety forces additionally discovered a suspected explosive system early on Thursday hidden in an envelope mailed to a European Union satellite tv for pc centre positioned at an air pressure base in Torrejon de Ardoz, exterior Madrid, the Defence Ministry mentioned.
After scanning the envelope by X-ray, air pressure safety officers decided it contained “a mechanism,” the ministry assertion mentioned.
The satellite tv for pc centre helps the EU’s frequent international and safety coverage by gathering data from area intelligence gadgets, in accordance with its web site. EU Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell described such techniques as “the eyes of Europe” in September.
