Ukrainian diplomatic missions in Europe receive parcels with animal eyes

Ukrainian embassies in Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Croatia, Italy, Austria, Ukrainian consulates in Naples and Krakow, and a Ukrainian consulate in Brno received packages that contained animal eyes, Oleh Nikolenko, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.

“The packages contained animal eyes. The packages themselves were soaked in a liquid of a distinct colour and had a corresponding smell. We are studying the meaning of this message,” he wrote.

All letters came in at the same time from the same European country, he claims.

“We have grounds to believe that a well-planned terror and intimidation campaign against Ukrainian embassies and consulates is underway. They are trying to intimidate us as they are incapable of stopping us diplomatically,” Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

Nikolenko also said that the entrance to the Ukrainian embassy in the Vatican had been trashed, while the diplomatic mission in Kazakhstan had received a false bomb threat call.

The spokesperson noted that security measures had been ramped up in all Ukrainian diplomatic missions as instructed by the foreign minister.

Kuleba earlier reported that 3 Ukrainian embassies received letters with threats. “Not letters with explosives, another substance… Let’s say, there was a symbolic threat to Ukraine inside these envelopes. I can only say that all envelopes were soaked in a red-coloured liquid when they were delivered,” he said.

On 30 November, a parcel exploded in the Ukrainian embassy in Madrid. It was addressed directly to the Ukrainian ambassador to Spain. The parcel did not have a return address, which raised suspicions for the secretary. The woman handed the box to a security guard. In the end, the parcel exploded quickly after he went outside to throw it out. The guard has arm injuries, he is “somewhat concussed”, the ambassador said.

The next day, several more parcels with explosives were discovered at the Ukrainian embassy in Madrid. The parcels were sent to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, the national Defence Ministry and the satellite centre of Torrejón Air Base.