Letter bomb sent to Spanish prime minister day after Ukraine embassy blast
- Five devices were posted around the country over the past few days, including one to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, which was disposed of by bomb squad
- A package received by Spain’s Ukrainian embassy on Wednesday slightly injured an employee when it burst into flames while he was handling it
Explosive devices concealed in postal packages were discovered at Spain’s Defence Ministry, a satellite centre at an airbase and an arms factory that makes grenades sent to Ukraine, Spanish authorities said Thursday, a day after a similar package exploded at the Ukrainian embassy in Madrid.
Authorities also said that a similar explosive device was dispatched by regular post to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on November 24, but was disposed of by bomb squad experts.
The latest discoveries raise to five the number of explosive devices that were sent by post around the country over the past few days.
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 package dispatched to the Ukrainian embassy and addressed to the ambassador slightly injured an employee when it burst into flames while he was handling it.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba quickly ordered that security be stepped up at all Ukrainian embassies abroad and has asked his Spanish counterpart for a speedy investigation.
