Police in Spain detonated a suspicious parcel found on the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, Spanish officers mentioned Thursday, a day after an identical bundle despatched to the Ukrainian Embassy ignited upon opening and injured an worker.
“We can confirm a suspicious package was received at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, and are aware of reports of other packages sent to other locations throughout Spain,” the American embassy mentioned in a response to an Associated Press inquiry.
“We are grateful to Spanish law enforcement for their assistance with this matter,” it added.
Spain’s police mentioned the detonated parcel “contained substances similar to those used in pyrotechnics.”
Multiple explosive parcels have been despatched in Spain over the previous two days. Police mentioned they have been delivered to Spain’s Defense Ministry, a European Union satellite tv for pc heart situated on the Torrejón de Ardoz air base exterior Madrid, and an arms manufacturing unit in northeastern Spain that makes grenades despatched to Ukraine.
A bomb squad additionally destroyed an explosive gadget that was dispatched by common publish to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Nov. 24, in line with authorities.
The envelope intercepted on the American embassy’s safety screening level was “of similar characteristics as the previous ones,” mentioned Spain’s inside ministry, which is cost of the nation’s police forces. It was then detonated by authorities after a large space was cordoned off by Spanish police across the embassy within the heart of Spain’s capital.
Spanish authorities haven’t decided who was behind the letters or linked them to the battle in Ukraine.
The Russian Embassy in Madrid on Thursday condemned the letter bombs, saying in a tweet that “any threat or terrorist attack, especially those directed at diplomatic missions, are totally condemnable.”
The bundle despatched to the Ukrainian embassy was addressed to the nation’s ambassador to Spain, Serhii Pohoreltsev. The worker dealing with it was barely injured when it burst into flames.
In an interview Wednesday following the blast, ambassador Pohoreltsev advised European Pravda, a news web site linked to the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper, that the explosion may have been extra critical if it wasn’t for the skilled habits of the injured worker.
He mentioned the parcel seemed suspicious to the secretary of the ambassador as a result of there was no return deal with, and it didn’t appear like a typical diplomatic publish.
“The package contained a box, which caused suspicion to the commandant and he decided to take it outside – with no one in the vicinity – and open it. After opening the box and hearing a click that followed, he tossed it and then heard the explosion,” mentioned the ambassador.
The embassy worker was handled for mild wounds on his hand and later returned to work.
Spain’s National Court is investigating the incident as a terrorist act.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba ordered stepped-up safety in any respect of Ukraine’s embassies and requested his Spanish counterpart for a speedy investigation.
Two different Ukrainian embassies obtained threatening letters on Wednesday, Kuleba mentioned on the sidelines of a high-level safety assembly in Lodz, Poland, on Thursday.
Kuleba added, with out giving particulars, that “other disturbing events took place” on Wednesday, involving “the sending of very concrete threats to Ukrainian embassies.” He declined to specify the embassies in query.
An preliminary evaluation indicated the primary 5 packages have been probably despatched from inside Spain, Secretary of State for Security Rafael Pérez mentioned. All however one of many letter bombs have been disposed of, police mentioned.
Pérez mentioned the one intact explosive gadget was from the air base and that it and its packaging could be a part of the investigation.
Officials mentioned that bundle was despatched to the director of the European Union Satellite Center. The heart, generally known as SatCen, is an EU geospatial intelligence physique, and and its missions embrace monitoring Ukraine.
“The Spanish authorities were immediately alerted, they safely disabled the parcel and they have started their investigations,” mentioned Nabila Massrali, EU spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
“Nobody has been injured and the situation is under control.”
The Defense Ministry bundle was addressed to Defense Minister Margarita Robles, Pérez mentioned. Spain has contributed each army and humanitarian support to Ukraine because the begin of the Russian invasion.
Robles was visiting Ukraine on Thursday to help its protection effort with one other support bundle. Authorities didn’t present particulars in regards to the support, saying they didn’t wish to give away delicate data to Russia’s forces.
Robles mentioned the disturbing discoveries of latest days would haven’t any impact on Spain’s full backing of Ukraine.
“The police are investigating these packages, but let one thing be perfectly clear,” she mentioned in Spanish. “None of these packages or any other violent act will change the clear and firm support that Spain and other NATO and EU countries have for Ukraine.”
The arms manufacturing unit focused is situated within the northeastern metropolis of Zaragoza. The parcel was addressed to the manufacturing unit’s director.
A authorities official in Zaragoza mentioned that each the arms manufacturing unit and Ukrainian Embassy packages had the identical e-mail deal with listed because the sender. No additional particulars got.
The sending of small explosive units in postal parcels shouldn’t be unusual in lots of nations. They have been a typical prevalence for a few years in Spain, particularly throughout probably the most energetic years of the now-defunct armed Basque group ETA.
Pérez mentioned safety was elevated at public buildings following the invention of the bundle despatched to Spain’s prime minister. The transfer now has been prolonged to embassies, which already had further safety measures in place after the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February.