MADRID/KYIV, Nov 30 (Reuters) – Police in Spain are analyzing a potential hyperlink between two letter bombs despatched to the Ukrainian ambassador in Madrid and to an arms company that manufactures rocket launchers donated to Kyiv, they confirmed in an announcement on Wednesday.
In the primary incident, an officer at Ukraine’s embassy in Madrid was injured when he opened a letter bomb addressed to the ambassador, prompting Kyiv to order larger safety in any respect its consultant places of work overseas.
The letter, which arrived by common mail and was not scanned, induced “a very small wound” on one finger when an officer opened it within the embassy backyard, Mercedes Gonzalez, a Spanish authorities official, informed broadcaster Telemadrid.
Ambassador Serhii Pohoreltsev informed the Ukrainian information website European Pravda that the suspicious package deal addressed to him was handed to the embassy’s commandant, a Ukrainian workers member.
“The package contained a box, which raised the commandant’s suspicions and he decided to take it outside – with no one in the vicinity – and open it,” Pohoreltsev was quoted as saying.
“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.”
Hours later, an arms company in Zaragoza, northeastern Spain, acquired an analogous package deal, police confirmed.
The authorities consultant in Zaragoza, Rosa Serrano, stated in an interview with the SER station that the 2 envelopes appeared to have the identical sender, because the similar e-mail tackle was written on the again of each of them. Serrano stated the packages got here from Ukraine and that is what alarmed the arms company, which referred to as the police.
The arms company is Instalaza, the producer of the C90 rocket launcher that Spain donates to Ukraine.
SECURITY TIGHTENED
[1/8] Police stands outdoors of Ukrainian embassy after, Spanish police stated, blast at embassy constructing injured one worker whereas dealing with a letter, in Madrid, Spain November 30, 2022. REUTERS/Juan Medina
After the primary incident, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba ordered all of Kyiv’s embassies overseas to “urgently” strengthen safety and urged Spain to take examine the assault, a ministry spokesperson stated.
The Ukrainian authorities didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark in regards to the second incident.
Ambassador Pohoreltsev informed TVE later that he was working as traditional on the embassy “with no fear”.
“We have instructions from the ministry in Ukraine that given the situation we have to be prepared for any kind of incident… any kind of Russian activities outside the country,” he stated.
Russia invaded Ukraine 9 months in the past in what it calls a “special military operation” that Kyiv and the West describe as an unprovoked, imperialist land seize.
Spain’s High Court has opened a probe into the assault as a potential case of terrorism, a judicial supply stated.
Police carried out a contained explosion within the manufacturing unit and the incident reported no harm, in response to the identical media.
The envelope that was despatched to Zaragoza was 10 x 15 cm and an X-ray confirmed the explosive cost with a wire line able to be activated when the envelope was opened, Serrano stated.
Correos, the Spanish state-run postal company, informed Reuters it’s cooperating with the investigation.
The residential space surrounding the embassy in northwestern Madrid was cordoned off and a bomb disposal unit was deployed to the scene, in addition to the world across the Zaragoza manufacturing unit.
Reporting by Belén Carreño, Jesus Aguado, David Latona, Emma Pinedo and Inti Landauro in Madrid, Tom Balmforth in Kyiv; writing by Charlie Devereux; enhancing by Deepa Babington, Alistair Bell and Cynthia Osterman
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