Ukraine says 'animal eyes' sent to its embassies

Police officers cordon off the perimeter outside the Ukrainian embassy in Madrid after a bloody package arrived at the embassy, in the wake of several letter bombs arriving at targets connected to Spanish support of Ukraine, amidst Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in Madrid, Spain December 2, 2022. Credit: Reuters Photo

A number of Ukrainian diplomatic missions in the European Union have received packages containing animal eyes in what Kyiv described Friday as a "well-planned campaign of terror".

The Ukrainian foreign ministry announcement came after a security guard at the embassy in Madrid was lightly injured Wednesday opening a letter bomb addressed to the ambassador through the mail, prompting Kyiv to boost security at its missions.

The war-torn country's embassies in Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Croatia, Italy and Austria as well as general consulates in Naples and Krakow and the consulate in the Czech city of Brno received the "bloody" packages, said foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko.

The parcels were soaked in a liquid, he said in a statement, apparently referring to blood.

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"We have grounds to believe that a well-planned campaign of terror and intimidation of Ukrainian embassies and consulates is under way," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in the statement.

Ukrainian authorities would not be intimidated, he added.

"We will continue to work effectively for the victory of Ukraine," Kuleba said.

A Spanish police spokesperson confirmed that a "suspicious" package had been sent to the Ukrainian embassy in Madrid but did not describe its contents.

"Further analysis" is underway, the spokesperson said.

In the Czech Republic police said on Twitter that the package sent to the Ukrainian consulate in Brno contained "animal tissue," adding that an "in-depth analysis" would be carried out.

In Warsaw, police were notified about a package at the Ukrainian mission on Thursday.

"We quickly ruled out any danger," police spokesman Sylwester Marczak told AFP, refusing to specify what was inside the package.

And in the Hague, an AFP reporter saw a police car parked near the Ukrainian embassy in the city Friday afternoon. An embassy employee declined to comment.

Kyiv called on foreign governments to "guarantee" the protection of Ukrainian diplomatic missions abroad.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine on February 24 unleashing what has become the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II.

Russian forces have in recent weeks suffered humiliating military defeats on the ground in Ukraine.