The Spanish court is set to initiate a case on the explosion in the Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid, which will be treated as a potential terrorist act, news agency EFE reports, citing sources.
The decision on the severity of the investigated crime was made due to the fact that the parcel containing the explosive device had been addressed personally to Ukraine’s Ambassador to Spain Serhiy Pohoreltsev.
The explosion occurred yesterday, 30 November. At first it was reported that the explosive device had been put in an envelope, but later it was confirmed to have been put in a box.
Upon receiving the parcel containing the box, the embassy employee responsible for mail gave it to the commandant, seeing as it did not look similar to the typical mail sent to diplomates.
“Inside, there was a box, which is why the commandant began to have suspicions and he alone — so that no one was near — went outside with this ‘mail’ to the front yard before opening it. As soon as he opened it, he heard something click inside, instantly threw it aside, and only then heard the explosion,” Pohoreltsev told the Ukrainian media outlet European Pravda yesterday.
The commandant’s hands were slightly wounded, he ended up with “something akin to concussion”, the ambassador added.
“First of all, I would like to recognise the embassy employees; if it wasn’t for their professionalism, the consequences would be much more serious,” he concluded.
After the incident, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba ordered to increase security in all Ukrainian Embassies abroad.
