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Terror threat? Bloody animal eyes sent to Ukrainian embassies, offices

Spain’s National Court is investigating the explosive parcels as an act of terrorism.

By Associated Press

Three bloody parcels containing animal eyes and addressed to Ukraine’s embassy in Madrid and consulates in Barcelona and Malaga were intercepted at offices of the national postal company, Spanish police said Monday.

Seven European countries, including Spain, reported Friday that similar packages had arrived at their Ukrainian embassies or consulates last week. Ukraine’s ambassador to the Vatican also reported that the entrance to his Rome residence was vandalized Thursday afternoon with what he believed to be animal feces.

A security guard at the Ukrainian Embassy in Spain’s capital was injured Nov. 30 while opening a parcel addressed to the ambassador. Four more letters containing explosive devices were intercepted during the next 24 hours, including one sent to the U.S. Embassy in Madrid.

A similar package addressed to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was discovered a week earlier.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko wrote on Facebook that the “bloody parcels” were received by the Ukrainian embassies in Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Croatia and Italy, as well as by consulates in Naples, Italy; Krakow, Poland and the Czech city of Brno. He said that “we are studying the meaning of this message.”

“It’s a very strong signal,” the Ukrainian consul in Naples, Maksym Kovalenko, said, confirming his office received two letters containing fish eyes at around 10:30 a.m. Thursday.

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Spain’s National Court is investigating the explosive parcels as an act of terrorism. According to the initial investigation, the packages were mailed from within Spain.