Package explodes at Ukraine's Embassy in Madrid, one person is injured

Spanish news outlet Ultima Hora reported this with reference to sources in the Spanish police.

Ukraine's Ambassador to Spain Serhii Pohoreltsev told European Pravda the details of the explosion. According to him, it was not a letter that exploded, as previously reported by the media, but a postal package that was addressed personally to the ambassador.

The package raised the suspicions of the ambassador's secretary because it did not have a return address and did not appear to be mail addressed to diplomats. Because of this, the package was handed over to the commandant responsible for the security of the embassy, ​​who opened it in the yard.

“There was a box inside the package, so the commandant got suspicious and he himself - so that no one was around - went out with the package into the yard before opening it. And as soon as he opened it, he heard something click there, he immediately threw it away, and that's when he heard the explosion,” Serhii Pohoreltsev said. 

The ambassador also specified that the commandant's hands were wounded by the explosion and he received something like a concussion.

Pohoreltsev did not specify who, in his opinion, could have sent the explosives, but emphasized that it was due to the professional actions of the embassy staff that a tragedy was avoided.

Spain's Minister of Foreign Affairs José Manuel Albares has already had a telephone conversation with the Ukrainian ambassador.

Earlier, the spokesman of Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oleh Nikolenko, reported that the commandant of the embassy was wounded, there was no threat to his life, and the rest of the employees were not injured.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba instructed to urgently strengthen the security of all Ukrainian embassies abroad, and also appealed to the head of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take urgent measures to investigate the attack on the Ukrainian embassy.

“The minister also emphasized that whoever was behind the organization of this explosion, they will not be able to intimidate Ukrainian diplomats or stop their daily work on strengthening Ukraine and countering Russian aggression,” the message says. 

Earlier it became known that the injured employee received minor injuries and is currently in Nuestra Señora de America Hospital.

The message says that as a result of the explosion, the police opened an anti-terrorist protocol and surrounded the embassy building.  Also, special units for the disposal of explosive devices went to the scene. The embassy itself, currently, does not confirm or comment on this event.

El Espanol reports that the explosion occurred at 1:15 p.m.