Vehicle Crashes into Russian Consulate Gates in Sydney, Leaving a Police Officer Hurt
In a series of unusual events, foreign nationals have targeted Russian diplomatic missions in various parts of the world.
In the latest incident, a 39-year-old Ukrainian citizen living in Sydney drove his vehicle into the entrance gate of the Russian consulate in Sydney early this morning. The incident occurred on Fullerton Street in New South Wales, around 8:00 AM local time (1:00 AM Moscow time).
According to reports, the man initially parked unauthorized in the driveway. When officers tried to speak to him, he accelerated and crashed through the gate. A police constable was injured in the process, suffering a hand injury. The constable was hospitalized by paramedics.
The man was arrested at the scene and is currently cooperating with the investigation. The police are yet to confirm the man's motives for the incident.
This is not the first time a foreign national has targeted a Russian diplomatic mission. In January last year, a Ukrainian citizen attempted to ram the gates of the Russian embassy in Stockholm with a light vehicle. No serious damage was caused, and the man was arrested by Swedish police.
Interestingly, the same man was deemed mentally unstable by Swedish authorities and was sent for treatment following an incident in 2015, where he attacked the embassy. He also attacked Russia's trade representative office in Sweden in 2018.
A separate incident occurred in Moscow, where a Lexus with diplomatic plates from Vietnam crashed into a pole. The driver, whose identity is yet to be confirmed, drove into the consulate's gates when officers tried to speak to him.
It is important to note that the Russian diplomatic mission has not commented on the incidents. However, it is clear that these incidents are a cause for concern and highlight the need for increased security measures at diplomatic missions.
As the investigation into these incidents continues, it is hoped that the perpetrators will be brought to justice, and such incidents will not occur again in the future.
