Ukrainian embassies receive ‘bloody packages’ containing animal eyes: Kyiv
Multiple Ukrainian embassies across Europe received “bloody packages” containing animal eyes in an apparent coordinated harassment campaign.
“The embassies in Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Croatia, Italy, Austria, the consulates general in Naples and Krakow, and the consulate in Brno received bloody packages” of animal eyes, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“The packages themselves were soaked in a liquid of a characteristic color and had a corresponding smell. We are studying the meaning of this message.”
The ministry said that the residence of Ukraine’s ambassador to the Vatican had been vandalized, and that there were unconfirmed reports of a bomb threat to Kyiv’s embassy in Kazakhstan.
Andrii Yurash, the Vatican ambassador, said Friday that his residence had been smeared with apparent animal feces Thursday.
The Ukrainian embassy in the US received a letter with a photocopy of an article critical of Ukraine, the ministry said.
It added that the letter “arrived simultaneously with others from the territory of one European country,” but did not identify that country.
“We have reasons to believe that a well-planned campaign of terror and intimidation against Ukrainian embassies and consulates is taking place,” Kyiv’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said in a statement. “Unable to stop Ukraine on the diplomatic front, someone is trying to intimidate us.”
“However, I can immediately say that these attempts are useless. We will continue to work effectively for the victory of Ukraine.”
The macabre missives come after a letter bomb was sent to Ukraine’s embassy in Madrid earlier this week — one of a spate of letter bombs sent to targets across Spain, including its Prime Minister’s office and the US embassy.
Maksym Kovalenko, Ukraine’s consul in Naples, confirmed that his office had received two letters containing fish eyes Thursday morning.
“It’s a very strong signal,” he said.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry said Friday that security at all of the nation’s foreign missions had been stepped up, and called on host nations to do the same.
With Post wires