Blast hits US embassy in Kiev
Ukraine police reportedly treating attack as terrorist; no claims of responsibility, no injuries, embassy working as normal
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KIEV, Ukraine — An overnight blast hit the premises of the US embassy in Kiev but there were no casualties, Ukrainian police said on Thursday.
The explosion hit the mission in the Shevchenko district of central Kiev shortly after midnight, a statement said.
“Investigators found that an unknown person threw an explosive device on the territory of the diplomatic mission,” it said.
The US embassy was not immediately contactable for comment but a diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP: “The embassy will continue to function normally.”
The Russian news agency Tass quoted a spokesperson for Kiev’s police, Oksana Blischik, saying, “The explosion on the territory of the US embassy in Kiev is treated as an act of terrorism.”
Unidentified individual detonated an #IED on the grounds of #US embassy in #Kiev, #Ukraine: no casualties reported.https://t.co/bSc8nYW4LV
— Alexander Kokcharov (@alex_kokcharov) June 8, 2017
While no organization has taken responsibility, Ukraine has been involved in a simmering conflict against Russian-backed separatists in the eastern areas of Lugansk and Donetsk in which thousands have died and more than a million people have been displace.
In December, the US State Department warned citizens that “the situation in Ukraine is unpredictable and could change quickly,” and that, US citizens throughout Ukraine should avoid large crowds and be prepared to remain indoors should protests or demonstrations escalate.”
The Times of Israel Community.