Brazilian robbers break into Ukrainian Embassy left unguarded for a year

Thursday night the Ukrainian Embassy in Brazil was attacked by robbers. Keeping the diplomats at gunpoint, the bandits “tried to seize the diplomatic representation’s equipment,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine press service reports. “The Ukrainian mission’s employees locked entrance to the offices, called the police and tried — unsuccessfully — to neutralize the attackers,” the ministry’s Internet site says. After arriving at the place of crime, representatives of the Brazilian police and the foreign ministry protocol department expressed regret over the incident. An investigation has been launched to identify and trace the attackers.

Knowledgeable sources told The Day that our embassy employees defended themselves from the robbers on their own before the police came because there was nobody else to do it. Our embassy in Brazil has remained unguarded for almost a year. After the September 11 terrorist acts in the US Brazilian authorities mostly concentrated on guarding the embassies of the United States, Israel, and certain other countries, while removing police posts from many other diplomatic representations, including that of Ukraine. The police protection of our embassy was restored on August 29. The Ukrainian diplomats were assured that from now on their security would be under constant scrutiny.

In Kyiv, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Brazil’s charge d’affaires in Ukraine and handed him a note of protest over the incident. It was brought to the Brazilian diplomat’s attention that it was necessary to maintain a proper level of security at the Ukrainian mission in compliance with international standards and regulations. Ukraine demands an immediate investigation and being informed of its results. Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Anatoly Zlenko has given tough instructions to the Ukrainian diplomatic and consular institutions abroad to reinforce the security of mission employees and governmental property. The Foreign Ministry has not yet said how exactly the employees of Ukrainian embassies and consulates should do this. As we see, our diplomats have already gained some experience in self-defense.