Ukraine war: Animal eye packages sent to eight embassies across Europe

A file photo from 2018 of the Ukrainian Embassy in Warsaw, Poland

Parcels containing animal eyes have been sent to eight Ukrainian embassies in Europe, its foreign ministry says.

"Blood-soaked" packages were found in Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Croatia, Austria and Spain, it said. Czech police said packages were also found there.

It is not clear who sent the packages to the embassies and consulates.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba believes a "well-planned campaign of terror and intimidation" is taking place.

Two days ago an employee was injured after a letter bomb exploded at Ukraine's embassy in Madrid, Spain - one of a series of alleged incidents.

Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko referred to a number of others in a statement released on Facebook, including that the entrance to the premises of the Ukrainian ambassador to the Vatican have also been vandalised.

What's more, he added, the embassy in Kazakhstan has received a spoof bomb threat, while the embassy in the USA has received a letter containing a photocopy of an article critical of Ukraine.

"The letter came synchronously with others from the territory of one European country," Mr Nikolenko said. "Ukraine is working with foreign law enforcers to investigate all the threats, identify those implicated and bring them to account."

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The packages delivered to European embassies and consulates, he added, "were impregnated with a liquid of characteristic colour and had a corresponding smell".

In a later update on Friday, Mr Nikolenko said Spanish police had cordoned off an area surrounding the Ukrainian embassy in Madrid after receiving a similar bloody package, while Czech police said packages containing animal tissue had been sent to the Ukrainian embassy in Prague and the consulate in Brno.

Earlier, Mr Nikolenko said Ukrainian consulates and embassies had stepped up security measures, following Dmytro Kuleba's instructions after the blast in Madrid on Wednesday.

Spanish police confirmed they received a report about the explosion at around 13:00 local time (12:00 GMT). As yet, no-one has said they were behind the blast, and it is unclear whether any of the incidents are related.

Spain tightened security around public buildings after a number of explosive devices were discovered

Later on Wednesday evening, a second "suspicious postal shipment" was intercepted at the headquarters of military equipment firm Instalaza in Zaragoza, the interior ministry said.

Then, on Thursday morning, letter bombs arrived at the defence ministry and at an air base in Torrejon de Ardoz, just outside Madrid.

Another device was also sent to the US embassy.

"The characteristics of the envelopes, as well as their content, are similar in the five cases," Spain's Deputy Interior Minister, Rafael Perez, told journalists.

"There are signs that indicate that the letters came from Spanish territory, but I insist we must be prudent...we are at the beginning of the investigation."